THREE GOOD CHARACTERISTICS FOR PASTORS AND CHURCH LEADERS!

Prof./Evangel. Michael Howard, MACS

Fourth Sunday of Easter - Good Shepherd Sunday

Jesus said: "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one." (Jn. 10:27-30)

With the recent closing of Catholic churches and schools, I wonder if today's Pastors take John's words to heart: "No one can take them out of my hand." In other words, do our Pastors have the unction, come hell or high water, to protect their congregation from the wolves and the spiritual predators that desire the church property to build commercial buildings? Jesus, the Good Shepherd, blantly stated, "No one can take them out of my hand." Jesus is unequivocal because the statement is repeated, "no one can take them out of the Father's hand."

Therefore, when looking at John's gospel, I saw three vital characteristics essential for Pastors or ministry team leaders to protect a congregation or members of a spiritual team.

1. Transparency! Jesus said that his sheep hear His voice and follow him. I believe Jesus was transparent when he spoke. He did not hide the light. Jesus came so we could have the light to walk through the valley of darkness. Often, I have seen "church hurt" in faith communities because Pastors or leaders kept their congregations in the dark. Bills are sky high and not paid. And yet, nobody is saying anything about the disaster that is about to fall on the community. Pastors who are transparent build leadership and trust to make sure "No one can take them out of [their] hand."

2. Relational! Jesus said that the sheep know His voice and follow Him. One must ask, "How does a sheep, which is considered one of the dumbest animals around, know the voice of Jesus?" The sheep know Jesus' voice because Jesus fellowships with them. Jesus walks with them and talks with them. Jesus spent quality time with his flock. Unfortunately, there are times when some congregants only hear the voice of the Pastor on Sunday morning. And if they call in the middle of the week, you might get, "Fr. Smith is busy right now, press 1 to leave a message after the, Beep Beep." When pastors intentionally fellowship with their members, "No one can take them out of [their] hand."

3. Prayerful! Pastors cannot give eternal life, but they can act as mediators. They can respond to God's call for prayer: "I have searched among them for someone who would build a wall or stand in the breach before me to keep me from destroying the land" (Ez. 22:30). God is looking for Pastors to pray earnestly for their faith community, but they cannot pray if they avoid fellowship with their community. When you know the story, you can pray the story for your faith community.

   
   

Therefore, as you reflect on John's gospel, know that these are just three crucial steps I see that challenge our pastors today; I am sure there are many more. For this reason, I want to encourage you to reflect on what you can do to assist the pastoral staff in these challenging times of trying to help our pastors to present the best version of the Good Shepherd because Jesus and the Father are One. And when we are one with the Pastor, no one can take us out of our Pastor's hands.

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