What it takes to be a pastor

So I wanted to make this thread because I have seen many pastors and heard many either praise or complain about pastors and I even seen some who honestly I think didn't know what they were getting into.
So my thoughts are what does it take to be a pastor? Rather I suppose what does it take to be a good pastor? The job itself is a very huge responsibility not just because of where you stand in the church or the prep work need to do for sundays service but when you decide to walk that path you are choosing to be a leader a shepherd of his flock and every word you speak effects each soul that hears them. It requires not just strong faith but a heart that knows his voice and how to speak what he or she hears.

Knowledge of the scriptures, a strong faith and relationship with God, the ability to lead and to help guide his flock these are great qualities in a pastor but for me I have seen many pastors and been to many churches but there always seemed to be something lacking in every church I saw a pastor in. whether it really is that lacking or I was just was unlucky I never truly found the ideal pastor. They did well in organizing their sermon and there was wisdom in their lessons but I have always believed that a pastor who is filled with God's love would shine among other pastors, someone who truly impacts and moves the hearts of his flock.

Even before I was saved I always had this natural skill to read a room and when I became a Christian that was not only enhanced but I could also kind of sense things in a room of people, I could at times see a spark made in someones heart I could tell when a fire was made in someone or when a heart was deeply impacted by the words spoken, not to be boastful in anyway but this mainly happened from the words placed on my heart to speak and it happened almost every time I spoke.
And I wondered why when I would go to a church in the service this never seemed to happen much. Like I said I can for the most part read a room and maybe it my imagination but the room normally seemed kind non inspired and the sermons as well organized and sometimes very wise lessons seemed rehearsed.

Where was this fire I would wonder, why does his words not seem to really move and inspire these peoples hearts? I always saw a pastor as not just a shepherd or spiritual leader but one who God uses to move and make his church on fire, to make that spark and make his children hungry for him to make them thirst for him and make them crave a deeper relationship with him. It isn't enough to give a great lesson in my opinion after all great lessons are everywhere, but if a pastor knows the power words can have on a persons heart and if the words they speak can really move and inspire the hearts of others and rekindle that hunger and fire I think such a pastor would be the best kind regardless how well organized or well written their lecture and lesson in sermons are.

But even with all I think and believe What does it really take to be a pastor? What may I be lacking in my train of thought and what may I be wrong about? more importantly I would like to hear from all of you what you think personally what it takes to be a pastor, what kind of pastor would you want?

To begin with, I see the pastorate as a calling, not as a career. I think Christians should not worry about becoming pastors, rather they should worry about being faithful believers and then, at some point of their lives they may be called by God to serve as preachers, elders, pastors, deacons, etc.

No doubt being an elder (or pastor) involves a huge responsibility, requires strong faith and a deep relationship with God.

I think Blain the Baptist has a nice little ring to it.

having a humbleness in ones heart is a pretty good start.

Hi Blain, that fire you refer to is the moving of the Holy Spirit.
Even the best pastor in the world can not tell the Holy Spirit
what to do.

I’ve seen services which were brilliant in respect of thd preaching,
singing etc but people walked out as unmoved as they walked in.

On the other hand I’ve seen poorly expounded preaching, and singing
without music, (as the PA system broke down) yet people falling on their
knees and weeping out loud, as the Holy Spirit moved over the
congregation from one side of the church to the other.

Once I was in the worship team playing the saxophone.
One service in the morning was terrible. We had a baptism service
that evening and as the baptristry was built into the stage area and
covered over. It meant they had to open it up so it could be prepared
for the evening service.

As a result the worship team had to move to an alcove at the side of the
church. The accoustics are terrible as all the sound bounces off the walls.
We could not hear each other properly to keep in tune or keep up with each
other.

Plus we had a lot of musicians away that morning. So music was a keyboard
player, me on sax, a drummer and maybe 4 singers. No guitar or anything else.

It sounded awful everyone knew it.

Plus as the preacher kept having to avoid the baptistery on the platform so he didn’t
fall into it. He was confined to one corner of the stage so the whole front of church
looked empty.

I remember we played the first set of songs, as the music was coming to the end.
I got this idea in my head to just blast out several times with my saxophone.
I thought no way it sounds bad enough as it is! Then I thought well what the
heck it can’t get much worse!

So I did a series of notes several times, as if mimicking the effects of a
trumpet sounding out.

Well, WOW. I was stunned. The Holy Spirit fell over the entire church.
You could feel Him in such a tangible way, like wave after wave of
pressure moving across the room.

My stomach felt like it would explode as if something was bottled up
that has to be released. Everyone else was the same. People started
crying, praying out to God. Many kneeling where they were.

Then it just fell silent not a sound. There are bible verses in revelation about
a silence in heaven, I fully understand what thar means as when God is in
the room, there is no need for words at times.

The pastor said something about just being quiet for a while and letting
the Holy Spirit Do what He wanted to do in each person.

No one moved or said anything for maybe 15 minutes, no one could!

Even when the service recommenced, no one felt the same. There was
a pressure a presence of the Holy Spirit throughout the rest of the service.

Blain the baptist does have a nice ring to it lol but as far being a baptist I don't really belong to a denomination nor do I say I am nondemoniational as that itself is also a denomination I am simply his child

Wow I honestly am jealous I have never been to any church in which the spirit moved that powerfully I am so glad you were able to experience this. And kudos to you for playing the sax no one seems to play it anymore.

One must not criticize the pastor , or Bishop of the Church ,first no one can just step into the pastor's shoes or has gone through the training or sufferings to know the wisdom laid in his heart .many whom judge the pastor s are them Wich have not subjected themselves under authority ,of whom have not gone through purification through scriptures
Or the ones who don't like the tithe knowing that the tide goes to the rent and cost of operating the church . Inmate times I've seen the pastor take most of the responsibility of the rent and the cost of operating the church because of lack of tiny and all this comes out of the pastors pocket. Yet people like to criticize, what it takes to be a pastor is to be chosen by God not called but Chosen

Not always are they chosen by God I’m afraid. Some are self appointed and have no
right to put themselves in such a position. I’ve been to a church where one pastor
really should not have been there. He simply wasn’t the right person for the job at
that moment in time.

He wanted to control and be in charge of everyone and everything. But wasn’t very
good at it. I think he forgot he was employed by the church, rather than the other
way around.

Often people would turn up on Sunday to find the church still locked up.
He would cancel services at the last minute.


He was great at children’s ministry but that doesn’t qualify a person to try to run
a church single handed. He was also a bit dishonest and had a habbit of
“Borrowing” things from the church for his own use. Things the congregation
had donated or paid for. That wouldn’t have been so bad if there was a need
but he “forgot” to return them or replace/maintain them when they got
lost or damaged.

An example there was an artificial Christmas tree in the church it was years old
getting past it’s best. We had one at home 7 foot tall with all the decorations.
Almost brand new.
I gave it to the church just before Christmas. It never was put up and later I
discovered he had taken it home and used it in his own house. So the old threadbare
one was put up again in church.

He “borrowed” the church lawn mower for his own garden and did not return it.
So the people on the grass cutting rota kept turning up with nothing at church to
mow the grass with.

A lady in the church had 2 cats, when she went on holiday he offered to feed her
cats each day for her and go to her house to check on them. When she came back
she found he had been using her washing machine because his had broke down.

The pastor and his wife had 5 children between them from two marriages. They
had used all her washing powder/electric etc and managed to break the door of
her washing machine. They did not even tell her they had been using it she only
realised when she went to do her own laundry. No money was offered for the
costs or broken machine.

We had lots of cutlery in the church, he “borrowed” most of it for a family do.
A little later when we had a church event it was realised he still had it and
people from the church had to go asking him for it back as there was not
enough cutlery left for the church. Some was returned barely enough but not all.

He was bible college trained and had the right qualifications etc. But the wrong
attitude.

I think he should have very good knowledge of all theologies and of all possible views. He should be able to distinguish betwen basics of Christianity and between the rest.

He should know the text of the Bible very well, also the history of the Bible and various textual forms, theory of translation etc.

He should have a good character, he should have skills in psychology, to know how to deal with different personalities of people.

He should be taught by some good seminary or teachers, because if he is just reading Bible for himself, he is his own teacher.

Many bad pastors do not care about these things, because they want to do it in a primitive, first-church way, ignoring the very different situation we are in today.

A few years back a report came out that among seminary students training to be a pastor the single largest reason given for that career choice was job security. To suggest, by means of earning a title under man made requirements, that a pastor is immediately free from all scrutiny is lacking wisdom. Pastors are not always sincere in their reasons for becoming a pastor. Pastors are not perfect. Pastors can also stray into false teachings.
Unfounded or rampant criticism of the pastor is certainly not appropriate or right either. So i'm not suggesting a free reign to attack pastors. But neither should they be set up as infallible rulers who dare not be questioned.

This is a good summary. I would also add: He should be able to communicate in a simple way.

Go to youtube and type "what is the gospel" and you will get these theology professors offer their gospel and its using such complicated language that a regular guy is just listening to "what in the world is he talking about?". Thats called RUINED by education.
What do I mean? Well things like this: "The Godman" (unbiblical term) "The gospel begins before the world exists. Its a story about us, its a story about God's glory" and babble like this.

I guess its not really what they say that gets to me, but the fakeness of it. I got enough street smarts to spot that a mile away.
Has anyone here gone to those theology seminars? If you have could you answer this for me: Do they teach you how to talk there? Because all the zombies that come from these institutions sound EXACTLY the same, the same tone of voice and rhythm of speech, its scary!

This thread is like what I heard Jeff Durbin speak of the other day. He had a "very large Baptist association" want him to join with them. They all met together to discuss building the church, how its done, how to do it &c.

Not one of them used one text of Scripture, they merely argued their own thoughts. He abandoned joining with them because even its leaders weren't committed to biblical mandates, although they would argue that they are which is another problem altogether.

Yep, this thread is just like that meeting.

Jeff Durbin is the same guy with the late night talk shows right, the one with the comedy show? Is this the same Jeff Durbin we're talking about? The dimmed lights in church, contemporary church Jeff Durbin?
The postmillennnial Jeff Durbin? The Hipster?

Yeah I'd be glad to not have him join any baptist association. Keep that boy outta there.
He is a prime example of some tuttifrutti hipster who went to some theological seminary, got a degree and came out repeating the jargon he learned.
State of Christianity is sad when guys like this are not recognized as fakes, whatever happened to street smarts?

The Bible talks about our being called to Christ by God. However, there's no specific verses that describe those called to the pastoral ministry being called specifically for that purpose. At least not in the way the old testament describes the calling to the priesthood or office of elder,as in the book of Jeremiah 1.
The apostle Paul informs about what it means to be in service to God as pertains to elders and overseers, who today could be seen as pastors, in 1st Timothy. “Here is a trustworthy saying: if anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task” (1 Tim. 3:1).
1 Timothy 3 (KJV)
3 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
King James Version (KJV)
Public Domain

Though I would say that we have to recall that Paul's writing to Timothy there pertains to Paul's directives concerning the churches the apostle started. These are not directives handed down by God. As Paul would preface those inspirations in his writings before sharing what God said.

There are a lot of fake pastors out there today. There was once a show called Preachers of LA. The entire cast was proof of wolves in sheep's wool. It didn't last long thank God.But while it was on the air it gave a very bad impression of what the men featured labeled as the black church.

There are other examples of fakery in the pulpit. Pastors that obsess over giving, or planting a seed, for instance. I watched one pastor just this past Sunday. His entire sermon was about giving money, the tithe. To drive his message home he'd had fashioned an enormous copy of an offering plate, gold of course, and placed in the pulpit. Then as he was going on about giving money, he stepped into the offering plate that looked like a baby's wading pool it was so huge.
Then there's the pastor in Texas that not too long ago condemned his parishioners giving to charities and the poor on their own.

He admonished they should give that money to the church, his church of course, so that those anointed for the task by God can see to it the money goes where it belongs. And thus insures the givers pride isn't pricked because the recipients of their monies outside the church can look up to them rather than God for the charity.This is a morbidly obese pastor that has a family compound worth millions and who once said, if you're a disabled veteran, a single mother, or elderly and don't work, STARVE!
When he found out his sermon was snipped and put on YouTube to show his "love" for all people, his ministry invoked the copyright protection and YT pulled every copy. Though there may be some now that snuck back in.

Then there are those that claim to be pastors in public and act like the devil toward Christians. Big red flag. That is when the passage about knowing them by their fruits, their talk, their behavior, their demeanor when invoking God's word as that supposed pastor, should come to mind.
Imagine some money hungry pastor going to the local hospital and visiting free of charge without a word about giving when speaking to everyone in the terminal cancer wing.
Not happening. Unless they hope that poor soul will add their church to their will before it is too late.

Those that are called to pastor answer to a higher judgment when they arrive before God. People that act like the Devil while claiming they're a pastor likely don't know that. Yet.
It's a calling not a cudgel.

What I'm speaking of is church bums also known as Church hobos that go around criticizing pastor and other churches not not realizing what it takes to run a church the finances the spiritual support the character and no just scriptures is a plus if we all went as how we felt in the church will be a big disorder with no resolution because the vision will be distorted now I agree there's many theologies many denominations causing dissensions because of lack of unity because again we go back to the vision,and that's one of the main reasons why we have a large number of church hobos also known as Church bums with no submission to no one no accountability no solid foundation under their feet some cause lack of knowledge , and for the most part it is lack of knowledge. for instance we could read one verse of the Bible and base your assumptions of your understanding on that verse alone, but of a learned mind we base our Direction on amore substantial bounty . I don't get all these threads much because I see much of this going on

Where do we find that bold red part of your statement in scripture?

Your post is just like that meeting as described. No scripture, no contribution to the OP query. Just judgment of others when you in fact are that which you judge.

Great sermon. I like it.

Cool, I don't really belong to a denomination per say also, John the Baptist wasn't either he lived in woods eating locust and honey, pretty tuff dude in my book hehe...

Huh Locust were they cooked, fried or eaten raw either way man I would have a hard time setting down to dinner eating locusts. might be something to it who could stomach that and also probably tuff things in being a pastor as well who has the stomach for it.

Jeff Durbin is that pastor that is so pro-life that he's gone on the record to say he thinks women who have abortions should be executed. And with that in mind, he regularly protests in front of PP clinics.
The Metro UK video is a great few minutes of your time to find out what Durbin is. Article and Video Link
Odd how he doesn't think the men that make those women pregnant should be executed also. After all, their practice of unsafe condomless sex made that woman to arrive at her choice.

Having been associated with the work, ministry and about 3 dozen friends that pastor churches in numerous states and countries I will say the following....and make no mistake this will be controversial but true nonetheless.......the following is based upon dozens of conversations, experiences, testimonies etc. from not only myself but also the bolded above.....

Without exception ALL of the problems, difficulties, heart aches, issues that pastors usually face do not come from the LOST or those who are outside of the church....THEY ALWAYS come from those who are members and or that claim salvation. MOST have no clue of the stress that comes from leading sheep. They grip, moan, complain, are easily offended, most never study yet they KNOW the bible, and they will cause problems at the drop of a hat. They lay burdens upon the pastor's shoulders that they themselves will not bear for example.....

I am offended because Brother SO and SO did not come visit me when I was sick so I will be angry and not shake his hand for a month just to show him who is boss.

I am offended because Brother SO and SO said this today while preaching so I will look the other way and not shake his hand today because I know he was talking about me.

I am offended because Brother SO and SO did not cut the grass, weed eat, sweep the parking lot this week at OUR lovely CHURCH building.

I am offended because Brother SO and SO did not go visit my dead relative who OD'd on drugs before he died and then missed the funeral so I will cause issues in church.

I am offended because Brother SO and SO read one verse out of an amplified version and sinned because he did not use the King James exclusively.

The truth....I could fill numerous pages with offences like the above.....Most have no clue what kind of childish issues that a preacher has to deal with.........and too be frank....it is a crying shame that a pastor/preacher cannot just lay the truth bare, pray, study and teach WHICH is what is required of a pastor!