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An Associate Minister
There is a worrying situation in most churches which needs to be carefully discussed and addressed. It is a situation which exists between lead pastors and their associates.
A lead pastor who is regarded as the founder of a church, on one hand, is often well catered for in terms of feeding, clothing, accommodation and transportation, while the associate pastors, on the other hand, reel in distress.
Even some ‘general’ overseers prioritise the well-being of their own families, ensuring that their children and wives are well taken care of, sometimes at the expense of their associates.
In fact, most lead pastors suffered similar fate when they served as junior pastors. Thus, it can be said that the situation is more or less a culture and norm in most churches today.
So, many associate pastors are told to endure hardship. The situation is driven by an erroneous interpretation of a verse contained in Paul’s letter to Timothy which says: “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3).
Of course, Christian ministry is a tough adventure characterized by various afflictions, trials and temptations. There is, therefore, no doubt that all pastors like every human being needs to prepare to endure hardship, considering the complexities of life on earth and unexpected challenges it throws at humans in particular.
However, Paul’s words to Timothy as read above should be explained in context; the apostle was not telling Timothy to endure hardship when he was enjoying the comfort of good accommodation, food, transportation and so on.
Paul wrote those words to Timothy at the time he was suffering in chains in prison for boldly preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, in context, the apostle was telling Timothy to prepare to face similar situation in ministry.
In other words, Paul was telling him to prepare to endure hardship as he was enduring hardship in prison for preaching the gospel (2 Timothy 2:8-10).
Clearly, he was not persuading Timothy to suffer while he was enjoying; rather, the apostle himself was also suffering. True Christian leadership requires that shepherds share whatever they have with their associates to promote harmonious relationship and peaceful coexistence, leading to increased harvest.
A diligent study of the Bible reveals that lead biblical overseers were not selfish; they gave to address the plight of their fellow ministers who were with them especially those who lived together under the same roof.
For instance, Christ Jesus fed His disciples. One day, He paid Peter’s temple tax (Matthew 17:27). As Jesus Christ was providing for His disciples, they were also humbly and happily serving Him. They went on errands for the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the beauty of father-son relationship in Christ.
Similarly, Elisha did not follow Elijah and served in his ministry for nothing. Elijah fed, clothed, taught and mentored him in the way of the Lord. Remember that in 1 Kings 19:20, Elisha left his business which provided for his needs and followed Elijah. This should tell us that Elisha lost his source of income so he depended on Elijah for food, clothing, accommodation and other necessities of life.
Timothy also left his parents to be with Paul. The apostle saw Timothy during one of his missionary journeys and took him to live with him (Acts 16:1-3). True father-son relationship in Christ Jesus is not a joke; it can be very expensive. Paul would not take young Timothy with him on his missionary journeys without spending on him.
However, most pastors, today, only speak about Elisha serving his father in ministry, Elijah, by pouring water on his hands, washing his clothes and doing other chores for him (2 Kings 3:11). But they forget that Elisha happily washed Elijah’s hands because Elijah also fed, sheltered and clothed him. Leadership is not only positional; it is also functional. It goes with costs.
It is not being said here that lead pastors should provide everything associate pastors would need to live meaningful lives. Rather, they must support them when resources abound. In fact, many senior pastors take very good care of their associate pastors.
Now, it is important to stress that junior pastors consider the financial strength of their churches and find jobs to do to support themselves and others including the church.
By James Quansah
