The true meaning of church ministry eludes the majority of God’s ministers today. It's evident that many ministers are not fully aware of the essence of their calling, as they either do something other than what they have been called to do or do less than what is expected of them. This lack of understanding is one of the reasons why the church is not meeting God's expectations. This issue concerns me greatly because, as a minister of the gospel, I struggle daily to align with God’s perspective on ministry. Early in my ministry, I served for five years with a wrong understanding of the ministry. During that time, I was convinced and satisfied with what I was doing; I was respected among colleagues and members for my commitment and performance; in fact, I was even promoted based on my performance. As I was about to be officially licensed, I became interested in understanding the true nature of the ministry and the impact of being licensed. The insights I gained from that period of reflection have shaped my understanding of pastoral and Christian ministry, which I want to share with you in this article. The concept of ministry has evolved over generations and has been influenced by society in various ways.
The Contemporary Concept of the Ministry:
There is a very great difference between the consideration of the ministry in this generation and the Bible time. The ministry, particularly the pastoral ministry, is basically considered in our generation to merely be an office constituted and guided simply by denominational constitutions and traditions. Therefore, the concept and the principles of the ministry is constitutionally depended such that a pastor ministry’s objective, motive and purpose is likewise driven by the constitution of the denomination he serves through. The common idea and view of the ministry most ministers of God have today about the ministry is that of an official function, the ministry has been relegated to simply an obligation and a duty. Pastors prepare sermons and teachings, and preach those sermons simply to keep up their official duty, they pray for their members as an obligation, they visit and preform all the sacramental functions only out of duty.
The Negative Effect of Wrong Concept of the Ministry
It is evident that a misunderstanding of the ministry does not lead to any positive spiritual growth. When the head is faulty, it is expected that the body will also be affected. Many of the internal challenges and problems that the church faces today stem from the incorrect concepts held by the majority of ministers. When a minister views the ministry solely as a duty and confines it to meeting the demands of organizational guidelines and policies, they become disconnected from the essence of the ministry. By prioritizing adherence to their organization's constitution, many ministers have disregarded the leading of the Spirit of God, resulting in a lack of spiritual depth and power in their ministry.
Ministers who focus solely on fulfilling their church's constitutional policies often lack genuine care and concern for those they serve. Consequently, the love that ministers should have for their congregants diminishes, as their attention shifts from the flock to the organizational constitution and the preferences of their superiors. This has led to the presence of shepherds in the church who lack genuine concern for their flock.
It's interesting to note that in the 21st-century church, there is a growing awareness among members about the nature of the relationship between pastors and the congregation. It seems that there is a shift in the perception of the ministry, with some people viewing it as solely an official duty, focused on personal benefit and financial gain. However, it's important to remember the teachings of Jesus and the apostle Paul, which emphasize the selfless nature of ministry and the prioritization of spiritual values over material gain. This presents an opportunity for reflection and positive change within the church
In the perspective of Jesus, the ministry is our Father's work in the 'house' of the Father. Since it is abominable to think of such a thing and to work for the Father to your brethren only for a penny, one of the consequences of the wrong perspective of the ministry is that most pastors who fall into this lack fulfillment and satisfaction in the ministry. A godly and true ministry is bigger and greater than just an obligatory ministry. A pastor whose ministry is limited to just a performance and a discharge of official duty for some reasons will never find fulfillment in his ministry.
Ministerial success is rooted in understanding and practicing godly ministry. It's important to align our service with God's standards, regardless of how fulfilling or financially rewarding our ministry may seem to others. When our ministry falls short of these godly standards, it can lead to stress, burnout, and even tragic outcomes like depression and suicide. Recently, we've sadly witnessed cases of pastors taking their own lives, which underscores the urgent need to realign our understanding of true ministry. It's crucial to remember that a ministry based solely on human standards can lead to despair. Instead, we should strive to serve in connection with God and the Holy Spirit, finding strength and purpose in our calling, no matter the challenges we face.
The True Ministry
Ministry, when viewed from a divine perspective, involves God meeting people's needs through His chosen individuals. In other words, it is God's way of reaching out to people through others to address their needs. The driving force behind ministry is the existence of need. Humanity as a whole needs God, and God has chosen to reveal Himself through people. For example, the need for salvation prompted God to send Jesus to die, offering salvation to humanity. Similarly, the need for righteousness and holiness led to Christ's sacrifice, allowing those who believe to be justified by faith.
The needs of people can vary from spiritual, physical, material, and financial needs. When Jesus and His apostles ministered to the people, they showed concern and attended to the various needs of the people. They were compassionate and tenderhearted toward the situations of the people. This is one of the reasons why they performed miracles - to meet the physical needs of people suffering from diseases and demonic oppression. Jesus also multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish to meet their material needs. At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus read about Himself from the book of Isaiah 61:1-2:
the spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovering of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.
Absolutely! The heart of godly and true ministry is to compassionately meet the diverse needs of people through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. A holistic ministry endeavors to address spiritual, physical, material, and financial needs with a primary focus on spiritual well-being. It's important to recognize that attending to material and financial needs is complementary to fulfilling spiritual needs.
Jesus’ Principle of Ministering to People’s Needs
The ministry of Jesus was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah in 61:1-2, where it was foretold: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, and to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." During his time on earth, Jesus had a comprehensive ministry. He addressed people's spiritual needs by sharing the good news of salvation and providing spiritual solutions. He also met their physical needs by healing diseases and freeing them from demonic forces. Moreover, Jesus showed concern for people's material needs, even providing food on some occasions.
Jesus never limited Himself to addressing specific needs of the people. As He traveled, spreading the good news, He made it a point to attend to the diverse needs of the people. He viewed His ministry not as a mere duty, but as a means to bless others and fulfill God's will by meeting their needs. He operated with a focus on addressing the needs of the people without getting bogged down by policies or rigid principles. For Jesus, as long as there were people in need, there was work to be done, sometimes even at the expense of His own meals.
Apostolic principle of Ministering to the Needs of the People
The apostles of Jesus recognized that it is God's will to address the complete needs of humanity when He works through people, similar to how Jesus did. As the church was established upon them, they continued this comprehensive ministry in the manner of their master, Jesus. However, their approach to addressing people's needs differed from that of Jesus. While Jesus miraculously provided for every human need, the apostles sought the collective support of the church to contribute and share their blessings with fellow believers (Acts 2:44-47). The apostolic ministry's method of meeting the material needs of the people was rooted in sharing, unity, and fellowship within the early church.
At the beginning of the church, a couple named Ananias and Sapphira pledged to donate money from the sale of their land to help other believers. However, they kept some of the money for themselves and lied about it, which resulted in them both losing their lives (Acts 5:1-11). As the church grew, it included both Hellenistic (gentile) and Hebraic (Jewish) believers. Some gentile believers accused the church of not treating them equally when it came to sharing material possessions.
In response to this, the apostles chose to delegate the task of waiting on tables to others and appointed them to handle the responsibility. This allowed the apostles to focus on the important ministry of spreading the Word and prayer. In the early church, the apostles recognized the importance of dividing the ministry to efficiently meet the needs of the people. While the apostles focused on the spiritual needs through the Word and prayer, others were appointed to attend to the practical needs such as waiting on tables (Acts 6:1-7).
A Minister’s Administration, What is a minister to minister?
Many ministers do not fully understand what they are called to minister to the people. Some of us focus on promoting and selling ourselves, while others emphasize their denominational policies. The key question is: what do people expect from you as a spiritual shepherd? Is it your personality, education, qualifications, or fame that people really need? Can your denomination and its policies save a dying soul?
Every pastor is called to minister the Word of God. The Word of God is the need of the soul and it alone has the solution to the needs of the soul. Ministers should therefore focus on rightly dividing the Word of God for the people. Although people have many needs in life, the fundamental need is life, and it is the Word that can give life. Therefore, a pastor's primary role is to be a minister of the Word, and then attend to other needs of people alongside the Word. It is a misplacement of priorities to make other needs of man the central focus of ministry instead of the Word. As we minister the Word, we minister God and Jesus, because God is in His Word and Jesus is the Word of God.
The Biblical Ministerial Principle, How Does God Minister to Ministers?
Human principles, knowledge, and intellectualism hold significant value and play a crucial role in our lives. However, in the context of godly ministry, it is the Holy Spirit, not man, who determines the "how." We are called to act, speak, and move in accordance with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. For a minister, complete submission to the leadership of the Holy Spirit is vital, allowing Him to work through us. The work belongs to the Holy Spirit; in essence, there are no human ministers in God's kingdom work, only Spirit ministers. The Spirit of God is the true minister, while humans are simply vessels in His hands.