One of the main pastoral functions of the minister is that of visiting in the homes of his people. The importance of this phase of ministerial labor should not be minimized, for statistics reveal that the Christian church is losing hundreds of members every year through apostasy who might have been saved to the cause had these weak and erring ones been sought out in their homes, prayed with, and real pastoral concern shown regarding their spiritual condition.
In the light of this fact it would be well for each one of us to critically evaluate this phase of our ministry to see whether we have been remiss as undershepherds.
During a visit in the home of a businessman I was asked if I were "the kind of pastor who visits in the homes of the people." My response led him to explain that his former minister had called at his home only twice in seven years, and one of these calls was to ask for a personal favor. Such pastoral neglect, I fear, is not an isolated instance, to which the remarks of both clergy and laity alike will attest.
Church members have a way of making their feelings known about the minister who rarely, if ever, visits them, especially so when they have had illness in the home. They can excuse one who does not shine as a pulpit orator but not the pastor who does not come to their homes. It is lamentable to hear of the personal and spiritual problems of people going untended by those who are to watch for souls "as they that must give account." It is more reproachable to hear a fellow worker admit that he has fallen into the habit of writing pastoral letters as a substitute for making home calls. Such is a betrayal of a sacred trust, and certainly no congregation deserves such spiritual neglect.
One of the essential qualifications of a Good minister is a love of people and a
personality that enables him to be a good visitor. No odd quirk of personality or timidity should deter him from pastoring his flock, and the inability to meet people with social ease and provide spiritual help for them unfits the man for the work. Love of people, concern for their spiritual welfare, plus a union with Christ will lead one earnestly to search out the hearts of men and women and provide them with the pastoral care they need.
Negligence in visiting is perhaps the exception rather than the rule, and faithfulness marks the pastoral pursuits of the majority of Seventh-day Adventist ministers. It is possible, however, that there are some who in making home calls fail to properly evaluate the objectives of their visits. In order to determine the end result of pastoral visiting it is essential to define what a pastoral visit is. Some have drawn a sharp line of distinction between a "pastoral" visit and a "social" visit. I submit that a visit is not necessarily "pastoral" because the minister discusses matters pertaining to salvation, nor is it necessarily a "social" call because he may neglect to talk of things directly spiritual. His appearance in the home in the official capacity of a pastor will be pastoral in effect irrespective of what is discussed during the visit.
Pastoral visiting is never a one-sided experience. What pastor's heart is not itself warmed by the knowledge that he has helped someone in the home understand a bit more about the things of God, or perhaps has helped iron out a difficult problem? In his book, Pastoral Work, Andrew W. Blackwood states what the minister's feeling should be toward this phase of pastoral responsibility and how it helps the minister himself:
The man with the shepherd heart enjoys making pastoral calls. Since he loves the Lord and cares for
people, he believes in them and in household visitation. He discovers that he does not really know the people until he has seen them in their homes. Even if calling were not a God-given means of nurture for the laymen concerned, it would prove beneficial to the pastor.--Page 61.
Pastoral visiting provides not only spiritual strength for the layman but it also gives direction to the minister's preaching program and helps him better to relate to his people and help them.
The minister's objective in calling at the homes of his parishioners is to gain their confidence in him as a friend, to "draw them out," and to be of some practical help to them as a spiritual counselor.
Both social and spiritual elements should be present in all pastoral visiting. One difficulty frequently encountered is where and how to make the changeover in the course of the conversation from things secular to those that are spiritual. This makes it obvious that the pastor must guide the conversation, indirectly, by pointed remarks or questions. These will revolve around two main things: first, the home, and second, the church and the person's relationship to it. Speaking about some aspect of the church as the visit progresses generally provides the setting for the reading of a passage of Scripture, the offering of prayer, or of providing spiritual counsel to a personal problem that may be presented.
In the brief period of the visit (all visits should be short except under special circumstances) the pastor must progress uniquely from one relationship with his parishioner to another. First, the minister comes into the home primarily as a friend to all in the household. Then, as a soul physician he seeks to diagnose any spiritual problem that may arise. Finally, he is a pastor to their spiritual needs. We would stress that above all things the pastoral visits should conclude on a spiritual note or we might later wonder whether our presence in the home has been of any real help to the family or person at all.
This leads us to the question of offering prayer in the home. Not a few of us, at some time in our experience, have been embarrassed when, on our way out of a home, we were abruptly halted by the words: "You're going to offer prayer before you leave, aren't you?" If we would plan to offer prayer in every home we would avoid such embarrassment. Granted, there are certain situations in which it may be un-
wise to offer prayer; but as a general rule, he who enters the home as a shepherd of souls should never leave it without pronouncing heaven's blessing upon it. Aside from the spiritual blessings called for by prayer, it also helps the layman to regard his pastor as a man of God. The distractions of noisy children, a blaring television program, or some other family activity need not hinder our asking the family to gather briefly for a word of prayer. In most cases reverent decorum can be brought about very quickly by this suggestion, and both you and your host will be glad you did. The objective of our visit should be decided beforehand and even the aim of our closing prayer; if we make this preparation our presence in the home will lift the person or the family heavenward. At the same time we will be doing that which should be almost second nature to us as men of God.
Although we want to be diligent in making home calls, common sense bids us not to wear out our welcome by visiting too frequently in the same home. This may seem too insignificant to mention, but some well-meaning brethren have done this. There can be no set rule as to how often to visit each family in our charge, and certainly the size of one's congregation will have some bearing on this. Some "make the rounds" once a year; others as much as once a quarter. Naturally, the sick, the troubled, or the bereaved require our special attention, but one should heed caution in going to the extreme of calling too frequently in any one home where there is not some special need or request for our services. More often than not, we are forced by our programs to visit alone with the lady of the house, and of course, that may lay us open to the suspicion of indiscretion. Prolonged counseling situations with feminine parishioners may well be done, wherever possible, with the help and presence of "Mrs. Minister."
Ellen G. White has admonished us to do less sermonizing and more in coming close to the hearts of the people if we would be effective in our work. Certainly the pulpit serves its sacred purpose of winning men "by the foolishness of preaching," but Christ has given us the example of His own ministry—that of dealing with the one-soul audience, of confronting men personally with salvation.
May each of us look analytically at our approach to our visitation program and remedy that wherein we have not measured up to the highest expectations as His under-shepherds. As we reconsider this vital phase of our pastoral activity, may we pattern our ministry after that of the Good Shepherd's, that we may be true and faithful shepherds of the flock.