Frequently, young ministers ask, “What is needed to be a successful pastor?” Success is an attractive word; in every field, the pursuit of success is real, at least for those who want to make an impact in their careers. In the realm of ministry, alongside the basics for this calling, the old saying that “the home-going pastor makes a church-going people”1 has been passed down to pastors for many years. But is this advice still relevant, true, or practical? Should pastors conduct regular personal visits with their members?
A 2016 Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary survey reported that 81 percent of pastors think that pastoral visits are best conducted in their members’ homes.2 Yet still some ministers, recognizing that people are overly busy in our world today, assert, “My church members don’t want to be visited.”
Divine example
I started visiting early in my ministry, and it has been a real blessing for me. During the worship service, I count the people and notice who is missing. Then, I call, text, and visit people. I served at a church in South Carolina and dedicated two days weekly for visitation—Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you want to know everything about your church and determine the best sermon topic that your congregation needs to hear, visit them. I know it sounds very simple, but believe me, it works.
I am inspired by Scripture: “Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ ” (Gen. 3:9, NASB). God initiated the visit! I am also inspired by what Ellen White wrote: “When a minister has presented the gospel message from the pulpit, his work is only begun. There is personal work for him to do. He should visit the people in their homes, talking and praying with them in earnestness and humility. Some families will never be reached by the truths of God’s word unless the stewards of His grace enter their homes and point them to the higher way.”3
Relational strength
In many churches, members think pastors visit only when something is wrong. So, during the church service, announce that you would like to start visitation in your church in order to get to know them.
There are goals to consider when doing visitation:
- Cement relationships between pastor and congregant.
- Achieve a spiritual moment by asking, “How is your walk with Jesus?”
- Humble yourself. Ask, “How can I, as a pastor, improve and be more helpful in your spiritual journey?”
- End your visit with a meaningful moment in prayer. Pray for them and their personal needs.
When visiting, pay attention to the length of the visit. Do not make it longer than is needed.
Church growth
Amazingly, church health and attendance growth will happen. Soon members will say, “This pastor visits because he cares for us.” When asked, “What does the pastor do?” several members at my church would speak up and say, “Our pastor visits.”
Clergyman Owen Sweeney states, “In the area of pastoral visitation, there are at least three types of priests: those who do it, those who say they do it, and those who don’t.”4 The results and benefits of visitation are that you get to know your members better and that you can tailor the sermons to the needs of the local church. You do not have to guess; visitation supplies you with real and relevant information for effective ministry.
If you want to see your church thriving and moving forward, implement visitation. Church members may not remember what you preached during the few years of your tenure, but they will remember that you visited them and made them feel special and part of God’s family.
- Armin W. Schuetze and Irwin J. Habeck, The Shepherd Under Christ (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 1989), 142.
- Marques J. Nelson, “Overcoming Obstacles to Member Visitation in the 21st Century” (MDiv thesis, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, March 2016), http://essays.wisluthsem.org:8080/handle/123456789/4235.
- Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers (Washington, DC: Review and Herald, 1915), 187.
- Owen Sweeney, “Pastoral Visitation Today,” The Furrow 23, no. 1 (January 1972): 7–14.
