clcgh.org Building The Capacity Of Christian Leaders, Equipping The Saints For The Work Of Ministry, Redirecting Straying Christians To The Sound Knowledge Of Christ
Jesus Christ sets in His Church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to work as servant leaders. He tasks them to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11). This makes them facilitating ministers.
Earlier, the Lord Jesus had urged Peter and all His servants to feed, tend and care for His sheep, the disciples (John 21:15-17). In obedience, Peter fed, tended and cared for the Lord’s people entrusted to him and implored others to do same.
“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight…” 1 Peter 5:1-3).
Subsequently, church leaders have been spending quality time to patiently teach, care and counsel the saints for the promotion of their spiritual, economic and religio-social wellbeing.
They positively answer the calls of church members day and night, visiting homes and hospitals to pray for the sick, mediating conflicts, providing emotional support for troubled individuals and families, providing material and financial support for the needy, orphans and the poor.
The sad reality, in contrast, is that the majority of the care providers, church leaders, fail to adequately care for themselves and their families. We make no time for medical checkups, to address the needs of our spouses and children, to rest, to manage stress, and to plan for our future.
Neglect of pastoral self-care has led many to wear out in ministry, suffer marital challenges including divorce, suffer stress and depression, leading to stroke and even premature deaths. These are not consequences of only a mistake but a clear case of dereliction of duty, pastoral irresponsibility and failure to apply the whole counsel of God.
The Word of God which instructs church leaders to care for the flock equally appeals to them to care for themselves and their families. This means pastors must provide balanced and holistic ministry.
In his letter to Timothy, regarding qualifications for Christian leadership, Paul stresses the need for church leaders to care for their wives, children and other relatives well by diligently and wisely organising, motivating, directing and controlling available resources to meet their needs.
“He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (1 Timothy 3:4-5).
Ministry may look like a do or die affair, but it is not. This is because ministry is not done recklessly but knowledgeably, wisely and understandingly.
God the Father saw the need to rest when He created the world (Genesis 2:2). Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, saw the need to rest when He felt tired (Matthew 8:23-24). And He tells His servants to rest when need be.
“And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31).
Now, if taking time off to rest after days of hard work was necessary for God the Father, Jesus Christ and the early apostles, what should today’s church leaders do? Certainly, we must do same.
We must regularly rest and conduct medical checkups or screening for early detection of diseases such as stroke, diabetes and some cancers. A comprehensive evaluation of our health also helps prevent disease and premature death, and improve our overall health.
Church leaders should not spiritualise everything concerning ministry. The Spirit of Christ Jesus needs a healthy human body to live in and build His Church. There is, therefore, the need for us to pay attention to our physical needs to help us live a meaningful and fulfilling life.
By James Quansah
