INTRODUCTION
On the last week of our Leadership Pipeline training, I told you that when we chose the titles for each level, Scripture influenced our decision to reserve the title Pastor for Levels 4 and 5. And last week, I began explaining why.
As I shared, I grew up in the Assemblies of God, where the title Pastor is used very broadly. And when we planted New Day, I brought that same understanding with me. But over the years, as I studied Scripture, I began encountering passages that challenged what I’d always believed about the pastoral office. And that eventually led me into a five-year, on-again, off-again study of the subject.
Last week, I began sharing with you what I discovered. As I studied, I saw that God defines the pastoral office in three important ways—by its scope, function, and eligibility. Last week, we looked at scope. Next week, we’ll look at eligibility. But today, we’re looking at function.
Now, remember, scope answers the question, “What are pastors entrusted with?” And last week, we saw that the answer is oversight of the church as a whole, rather than merely a particular ministry within it. But that leads us to another question: What does that oversight actually involve? What are pastors responsible for doing? That’s the question of function. And as I studied Scripture, I discovered several responsibilities that belong to the pastoral office.
First…
1. PASTORS GOVERN THE CHURCH.
Last week, we saw that pastors are entrusted with oversight of the entire church. And when you’re entrusted with oversight of something, you’re also responsible for governing what’s been placed in your care. That’s exactly what Paul describes in 1 Timothy 5:17 when he speaks of “the elders who rule.” To rule means to lead or govern. So pastors participate in making the major decisions that shape the direction of the church—where it’s going, what its priorities will be, and how it will respond to important issues.
Now, someone on our staff may have significant decision-making authority within a particular ministry. They may decide how that ministry operates, what programs it offers, how its team is structured, or what priorities it pursues. But making decisions for a particular ministry within the church is different from governing the church as a whole. And biblically, that broader governing responsibility belongs to pastors.
Okay, secondly…
2. PASTORS TEACH GOD’S WORD TO THE CHURCH.
In 1 Timothy 3:2, Paul says an overseer must be “able to teach.” In Titus 1:9, he says an elder must be able to “give instruction in sound doctrine.” And in John 21:15–17, Jesus tells Peter to “feed” His sheep. Pastors feed God’s people by teaching them God’s Word. They’re responsible for preaching Scripture to the congregation and guarding the doctrine taught to the church.
Now, someone on our staff may teach the Bible in all kinds of important ways. They may teach children, youth, or those in a small group. They may teach a class, disciple another believer, or provide biblical instruction as they train volunteers. But teaching God’s Word within a particular ministry is different from bearing responsibility for the biblical instruction of the church as a whole. And biblically, that broader teaching responsibility belongs to pastors.
Thirdly…
3. PASTORS BEAR ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CHURCH’S FINANCES.
We see this in Acts 4:34–35. As believers sold property and gave the proceeds to the church, Luke tells us they brought the money and “laid it at the apostles’ feet.” Remember, as we saw last week, the apostles were serving as the church’s pastors. And here we see that the church’s financial resources were placed under their oversight. They were entrusted with determining how those resources would be used and distributed.
Now, someone on our staff may manage a ministry budget. They may decide how those funds are spent, approve purchases, and be responsible for using that money wisely. But managing the finances of a particular ministry is different from bearing ultimate responsibility for the finances of the church as a whole. And biblically, that broader responsibility belongs to pastors.
Okay, fourthly and finally…
4. PASTORS BEAR ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHURCH DISCIPLINE.
In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul tells Timothy to “reprove, rebuke, and exhort.” And in Titus 1:9, he says an elder must be able to “rebuke those who contradict” sound doctrine. So pastors are responsible not only for teaching what’s right, but also for addressing serious sin and false teaching within the church. And when formal church discipline becomes necessary, they bear responsibility for it.
Now, someone on our staff may need to correct a volunteer, confront inappropriate behavior, resolve a conflict, or address a problem with someone who reports to them. But handling a problem within a particular ministry is different from exercising formal church discipline when an issue affects someone’s standing in the congregation. And biblically, that broader responsibility belongs to pastors.
APPLICATION
Now, let me bring this back to our Leadership Pipeline and title changes. Last week, we saw that one of the defining characteristics of the pastoral office is its scope. Pastors are entrusted with oversight of the church as a whole, rather than merely a particular ministry within it. And today, we’ve seen that the pastoral office is also defined by its function—the responsibilities pastors carry out in overseeing the church.
And here’s why that matters for our title changes. For the last 18 years, we’ve used the title Pastor very broadly. Historically, when we gave someone the title Pastor, we didn’t consider whether the scope of their leadership or the functions they performed lined up with what Scripture teaches about the pastoral office. We used the title regardless of whether someone was overseeing the church as a whole or leading a particular ministry within it.
But having now studied what Scripture teaches about the pastoral office, we believe God defines that office more narrowly. Pastors are entrusted with oversight of the church as a whole, and that oversight involves governing the church, teaching God’s Word to the congregation, and bearing ultimate responsibility for the church’s finances and discipline. So it’s not simply a question of whether someone leads, teaches, manages money, or corrects people. It’s a question of the scope of their responsibility when they perform those functions.
And that’s why, moving forward, we’re taking both scope and function into account when deciding who should hold the title Pastor. We’re not changing what people do. We’re changing the titles we use to better reflect the responsibilities Scripture associates with the pastoral office. Our goal is simply to bring the titles we use at New Day into alignment with what we believe God’s Word teaches.
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