Unlike the original Ten Commandments, that have not been improved upon, the ten commandments for senior pastors in this article can indeed be improved upon, added to, and developed beyond this presentation. However, like the original, when these are broken, the result can be dire consequences to endure and penalties to pay. Although not written in stone, yet with nuances about which to be sensitive, these commandments do provide a good guideline for much of the modus operandi for a senior pastor’s regular routine.
It’s still the Lord’s church, not yours
When Paul writes about the church as the Body of Christ with Christ as its Head, he reminds us of its ownership (Eph. 5:23). When one serves as the senior pastor of a congregation, we commonly hear people talk about “Pastor Miller’s church” or “Dr. Johnson’s congregation.” Although people may sometimes miss the point of whose people they are, the senior pastor must never forget. The function of every pastor includes remembering and reminding the people as to who heads the church. Our pride and glory should not be to have our name at the top of the marquee but, rather, to know the Name above all names in heaven and on earth.
Serve your staff and key leadership individuals
One of the joys of being the senior pastor of a congregation is having a staff with whom to work. A larger congregation that requires and can afford a senior pastor needs other ministry staff and support staff. This staff becomes a primary focus for attention by the senior pastor. Think of all the time Jesus spent with His disciples, even washing their feet. Caring for the people who are in the inner circle of church operations has always been a vital role for the senior pastor. When these people do not function well, for whatever reason, it affects the entire ministry of the congregation. In one sense, the senior pastor’s real congregation consists of this inner circle of staff and key lay leadership, who are then equipped, encouraged, and mandated to provide their practical ministries with and for the rest of the people in the congregation and in the community.
Pray for your staff
One of the most important and powerful ways to express and extend care for the staff and leadership of the congregation centers around praying for them. Paul exhorts us to “be constant in prayer” (Rom. 12:12, RSV). This time of prayer will shape the other times actually spent with staff and leadership, and develop in the senior pastor sensitivity to the people with whom they share their ministry as well as provide focus for what needs to be done together to be faithful and effective. Prayer feeds the soul and gives muscle to the exercise of one’s ministry. When you, as the senior pastor, sit down at the desk to begin the day, before going through the mail, before sorting out the files from the previous day, before returning phone calls, before meeting with people, pray! Pray for the staff and leadership that make the ministry of the congregation what it is and what it can become.
You are only as good as the people who surround you
What would David have done without Jonathan? What would Jeremiah have done without Baruch? What would Paul have done without Silas or Barnabas or Timothy? The church centers on team effort. With the senior pastor’s responsibility composed of assembling the best team possible in order to effect a significant ministry in and through the congregation, the “success” of the senior pastor will, to a large degree, rest upon the quality of people recruited for and maintained on the ministry team.
Lead, don’t manipulate
The senior pastor has power, and this power has to be exercised respectfully. A minister can easily fall prey to the temptation to control others and manipulate them to do what they want done. To do so shows a lack of trust in the working of the Holy Spirit, Who, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12, inspires a variety of gifts in the people of God to be employed for the common good. To lead one’s staff and lay leadership effectively means to help them as they minister in positions where their gifts can shine by being turned loose to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Manipulation is guided by one’s own agenda. Leadership, inspired by the Holy Spirit, directs faithful stewards in what has been entrusted to them for the sake of the common good. An effective way to keep check on the fine line between leadership and manipulation is to put everything on the table for awareness and discussion by all parties involved in any given situation. The senior pastor must be intentional about this to show respect for each person and to exemplify an honest hand.
Control yourself, not your staff
Confucius said something like, “One cannot master the nation unless one can master the family; one cannot master the family unless one masters the self.” Mastery of one’s self is fundamental to maturity and leadership. The senior pastor must have a secure and confident handle on self or one’s ability to lead will be severely compromised. Rather than seeking to control the staff in their behavior or productivity, the senior pastor can set a good example in behavior, attitude, and work patterns for the staff to appreciate and emulate. Ultimately, each person’s responsibility centers around their response to the world. To do well, authentically and freely, is far better than being coerced or cajoled into it by someone who thinks he or she knows better.
Two heads are better than one
With the issues of a larger congregation more complex, with the schedule more dynamic, and the multiple staff relations adding a challenging component, the senior pastor would be wise to solicit advice and counsel from others in addressing these and other matters. Although the senior pastor position consists of power, this does not necessarily ensure in the senior pastor an abundance of wisdom to exercise that power. Often, the solo ego can enter into the mix and inhibit the creativity that could result from bringing others to the conversation. The wise senior pastor will search for the best solutions regardless of who may provide them and will recognize the tremendous resources at hand in others whom God has positioned strategically to be of help in the ministry.
Try not to sneeze in public
Recently, I was at the altar for prayers and presiding at Communion when I felt a tickle in my nose and knew that a sneeze would not be far behind. Fortunately, with some concentration and relaxation, I was able to avert the sneeze in the middle of worship. Had I sneezed, it would not have been the worst situation ever. It did remind me, however, of how the senior pastor stays very public and is watched very closely. People will take note of the least little sneeze or hiccup (read behavior or attitude). It’s the proverbial “living in a glass house.” Although true for all pastors and religious leaders, because of the prominence of the senior pastor in the life of the congregation and in the community, the effects become magnified. True, senior pastors are still human, but that cannot be an excuse for unnecessary or undesirable displays in public that could bring question or shame to the office of the ministry and the congregation served.
Three eyes are better than two
One eye on the future, one eye on the past, one eye in the present represents a balanced perspective so important for the senior pastor in all attempts to steer the ship of the church without getting the passengers “seasick.” Predecessors and previous programming need to be understood and valued for what they contributed to the life of the congregation. However, the present needs intense focus, for now is the time of ministry that impacts the lives of parishioners—not only today but also tomorrow. As if this were not enough for the senior pastor’s concern, attention must also be given for the future. “A people without vision will perish.” And, so will a senior pastor! The mantle worn by the senior pastor must have as part of its design threads that portend the future of the congregation, calling it forward to where God would want it to be for ministry in tomorrow’s church.
Be careful not to “pull rank”
The senior pastor might be tempted to constantly remind the church members that “I’m the pastor.” This tactic keeps the pastor, for all practical purposes, at the top of the pecking order in the regular operations of the congregation. But constantly doing so will lead to resentment. Collegiality and the art of persuasion from reason and not power comprise a far more effective way of working through the issues of the day.
Conclusion
When the senior pastor breaks any of these commandments, there will be consequences, and it does not take too much imagination to perceive what they would be. Yet, the confidence of the senior pastor remains the same as for any other Christian: the power of God’s abundant forgiveness through Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit to renew the vital ministry that the senior pastor has been given.
If one were to collate the “commandments” learned by senior pastors everywhere, there would certainly be more than ten—probably a list of at least one hundred, or perhaps thousands. It takes more than a lifetime to learn them, but most important is to be learning them as one does ministry and as one grows from call to call. Senior pastors can learn and practice the ones that make the most sense within their specific and respective calls and for their personalities.
Senior pastors, enjoy your journey to Sinai, and then from Sinai into the Promised Land that God has given you for your ministry.
