Now more than ever before pastors with a God-given call and anointing are needed to care for their appointed community of believers. When you don’t feel cared for by your pastor, it may have something to do with your pastor’s spiritual DNA. Many serving in roles of pastor are actually more apostolic or prophetic or are evangelists or teachers.
While these gifts that God places in the body are important, valued and needed, congregations that are led by non-pastor leaders might be missing the essential blessings of having an in-house shepherd.
Pastors are called shepherds because their role is much like a shepherd who cares for his sheep. All of the leaders that God places in the church are there to mature the body of Christ, and all can teach from the Word, equip, warn, counsel, guide, encourage, but the pastors are wired to nurture and they do so with a level of care that is heart level and personal.
Shepherds love their flocks in a way that is similar to that of a parent for his child.
It’s so not wrong to have another of the 5-fold at the helm of the ship. There’s a vital need for every Christian community to have all of the 5-fold engaged in maturing the body and this includes shepherds within local congregations who are filling the nurturing, caring, guarding role for which they are anointed.
If you’re feeling “unloved” by the pastors in your local Christian community, it may very well be that they are one of the other 5-fold ministries from Jesus mentioned in Eph. 4:11-13 and how they “love” you is different than how a Biblical pastor would love you.
If this is the case, then you are receiving another blessing which flows from their anointing and DNA, one that corresponds with their calling as apostle, prophet, evangelist or teacher.
Seeking the Lord today for all the 5-fold to be in our houses of worship, serving the Lord in their particular anointings and callings, AND for pastors who love those in their charge with that special care that is reflected in the analogy of the shepherd and his sheep, 1 Peter 5:1-4.
May the Lord bless and mature His Body, the Church worldwide.
Pamela Koefoed