Finally things are changing in an effective direction when it comes to the pastor’s job description. One of the aspects of church life that has crippled church growth more than any other is the concept of “pastoral care.” This idea has promoted that the pastor should make ample time available for personal and crisis counseling for church members. This was not a traditional role of the church leader. The family usually filled this role. Church leaders got into the counseling biz from the pressure of the popularity of Psychology.
This has been a failed component of church life for decades. There are essential three reasons why:
- It takes away from the pastor/leader’s energy in developing leaders and growth-oriented activities.
- It creates dependency and embarrassment on the part of those seeking help.
- Pastors aren’t qualified as therapists and many people need therapists.
I limited my counseling to prayer and spiritual advice after a mid-week service. I found people didn’t need an hour to get to the heart of the issue with prayer. It was ample time to network people with the right help in and out of the church.
What are efforts the pastor can take to make sure people are cared for?
- Preach healing and life dynamic messages.
- Focus on congregational care not pastor care.
- Network with trained professionals and make referrals with follow interest.
I really don’t think pastors should do weddings outside those of people they know well, either. Retired pastors or lay pastors can cover this area just fine. Pastor’s needed to be strong for the weekend and give their time to things that only they can do.
