Call the District Superintendent!

A perception exists that if there is a problem between a pastor and congregation, the district superintendent can fix it. I have found that many people are afraid to speak to their pastors about an area of their ministry or an issue in the church until the situation spins out of control. My response, when I receive a call of this sort, is: "Have you spoken to your pastor about it?" The usual response is that they have not. The district superintendent is called to come in and fix in a day what many times could have been solved earlier with some loving, kind confrontation and discussion.

So, let's start the discussion. Pastors, I have found several key areas that form a common thread through many of these complaints:

Our Pastor Doesn't Call: Pastoral calling today is tricky business. No one seems to be home and some people don't want an unannounced visit. However, with all the means of communication available today, a pastor can make more contacts from their office than could ever have been accomplished going door to door. Some of these ways are:

• Telephone/Cell Phone: God even hears prayers prayed over the telephone.
• E-mail: A personal E-mail letting someone know you have prayed for them or are thinking about them can be as effective as a face to face visit.
• Instant Messaging (IM): Most E-mail users appreciate this communication, which easily provides an encouraging word during their day.
• Snail Mail: Drop a line on a postcard or note. These are great ways to encourage people-they will even save them.
• Personal call at their work place or school: Sometimes this can be spontaneous such as at a retail establishment but more often it will need to be arranged ahead of time. Dress so they will be proud of their pastor when they introduce you to their friends and colleagues. Let them show you around and ask questions about what they do. Brag about them to those you meet there.

Our Pastor Is More Interested in the Lost Than in Us.Pastors certainly have a mandate to reach the lost but they also must balance this with Christ's command to Simon Peter when He said "feed my sheep." This requires a delicate balance between appeasing the 'flock' and reaching out to an unchurched society that doesn't have any tradition in the church.

Let me share several observations I believe can help pastors navigate this dangerous territory:

Earn the right to be the leader of change. Just because your name is on the sign, bulletin, or office door does not necessarily mean you are the leader—you must earn that right. It only comes with time as people gain respect and confidence in you.

Be a specialist at incremental change. Honor the traditions of those who have gotten the church where it is today. This includes church music, dress, programs, and so on. Don't ridicule or quickly eliminate these traditions. Introduce things slowly.

Be likeable. If the congregation likes you, they may go along with things they don't necessarily care for because they want to support you. If they don't like you, plan for a battle at every intersection.

Be a personal evangelist. Just because you change the worship style or some program, doesn't mean people are going to beat down the doors to come to your church. More people come to Christ during one-on-one encounters today than at a public altar. Pastor, if you will lead them to Christ and bring them into the church, your people will soon catch a vision for the lost.

Allow God to move in your service. People will flood to a church where Christ is exalted and the glory of God is evident, regardless of worship style.

We Don't Know What Our Pastor Does with His/Her Time. I am continually amazed at the lack of accountability ministers have to their church leaders. We expect church board members to be accountable to us but seldom reciprocate. Here are some suggestions to help ministers and church boards.

• Give a written report. Write out and distribute to the church board a report of your activities since the last meeting. This report might include hours spent in the study, sermons preached, Bible studies given, calls made, days off taken, miles driven for ministry, meetings attended, and number of counseling sessions held.
• Be financially accountable. Pastors have the right to know how much money has been given and raised each year. It would go a long way if pastors, in turn, would voluntarily let the congregation know how much they and their families have contributed.
• Be open. Let your church board and other leaders feel like they can ask questions without getting their 'heads bitten off.' Ask them to share with you areas where you can improve and then take their advice to heart. Pastors and their congregations must remember that we are in the people business. I believe that the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, not because it was a date on the calendar, but because "they were all with one accord in one place" (Acts 2:1, NKJV). God wants His church to grow and prosper, but it will not and cannot if we are not united.

Stephen Anthony is superintendent of the Eastern Michigan District for the Church of the Nazarene.

Holiness Today, January/February 2007

Please note: This article was originally published in 2007. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.