The 1991 Annual Council enthusiastically voted 1993 as "Year of the Pastor." The plan calls for each world division to find a way to listen effectively and consult with its pastors, especially during 1992, in preparation for the pastors' special year.
Sometimes pastors feel that everybody uses them but nobody listens to them. Conference presidents use them to reach administrative goals. Conference secretaries use them to provide church records and statistics. Treasurers use them to raise the money treasury spends. Departments use them to promote their programs.
Congregations too use their pastors to do the work the membership should be doing. Laodicean members use them to provide all their spiritual food during one hour of Sabbath worship, freeing the members to spend the rest of their week at secular pursuits. Hurting members use them to vent their feelings and solve their problems.
No wonder pastors feel so often used and so seldom heard.
In some ways our organization poorly reflects our theology. Theologically, we declare that the local church is the heart, the core, the center of the church. Yet congregational leaders are represented only tokenly at the most significant decision-making levels. We would more accurately reflect our beliefs if a majority of those preparing plans and programs for our churches were lay leaders and pastors directly representing local congregations.
We need a more effective way of listening to our pastors. Workers' meetings are helpful. Usually, however, they concentrate on telling, and include very little listening. Ministerial secretaries are helpful, but their job descriptions tend to include significant administrative responsibilities. Incontrovertible, repeated research shows that the vast majority of pastors will not take their most significant frustrations and problems to anyone involved with either their discipline or their placement.
Just before the Annual Council we brought together a representative group of pastors and asked how they felt about a "Year of the Pastor" concept that would emphasize listening to and planning with pastors. The consensus was "It would be great if it were genuine. But it will never really happen.''
I feel much more optimistic than that.
Many church administrators, including our world president, are aware of our need to depend more on our pastors in developing plans for the church. Let's use the Year of the Pastor as a time for pastors and administrators to talk and listen to each other. Let's form plans together for a finished work.
Here is the Annual Council action that can help us make a start:
YEAR OF THE PASTOR--1993
SECTION I: Preamble
WHEREAS denominational leader ship recognizes the key role of the church pastor in the mission of the church, and
WHEREAS some pastors perceive that church leaders have not always carefully listened to their needs, and
WHEREAS some church leaders need to find better ways to involve, encourage, equip, recognize, and strengthen the pastor, and
WHEREAS concepts such as family solidarity, Sabbath observance, Christian education, stewardship of finance, and influence are being vigorously attacked by an increasingly secular society,
Denominational leadership dedicates itself to working hand in hand with the church pastor to improve the pastor's effectiveness and reverse these perceptions and trends.
SECTION II: Objectives
1. Reaffirm the importance of the pastorate in the minds of church leader, pastor, and member as the pivotal function of ministerial endeavor.
2. Update and strengthen communication and understanding between pas tor and administrator.
3. Define how the biblical roles of watchman and shepherd are appropriate in modern society.
4. Address the issues threatening the church's mission.
5. Structure with broad input from pastors systems of evaluation, communication, and accountability for all levels of church organization that will assist them in improving their effectiveness in achieving church objectives.
SECTION III: Implementation
We propose, therefore, that each division address these objectives in consultation with pastors early in 1992 and pass recommendations on to the General Conference at the Spring Meeting. The 1992 Annual Council shall consider a world document resulting from this input.
RECOMMENDED, To designate 1993 as the Year of the Pastor and to request each division in consultation with pastors and in harmony with the above objectives to prepare its own approach to implementation.