Redemption Ministry seeks to help wounded ministers and congregations. Periodically I talk with church members who have questions about difficult situations regarding a minister. There have also been times search team members have asked for help in looking for a Pastor (Or minister). The points below are worth church members and search teams to consider. The entire article can be read here.
Be concerned about the pastor who is better at managing church programs than he is at making disciples of Jesus.
Be concerned about the pastor who attracts people with fancy self-help sermons instead of teaching people to be students of the Bible and theology.
Be concerned about the pastor who is a chief executive instead of a contemplative sage.
Be concerned about the pastor who uses the pulpit to milk members instead of ministering to the saints.
Be concerned about the pastor who makes growing the church the goal instead of glorify God the goal.
Be concerned about the pastor who builds his ministry with people instead of building people by his ministry.
Be concerned about the pastor who cultivates a culture of dependency on himself instead of cultivating a culture of community within the church.
Be concerned about the pastor who reads and teaches the Bible literally rather than literarily (Not all the Bible is prescriptive; and it was not written to be used as a random list of verses cherry-picked capriciously to beat people up or defend personal ideas and beliefs).
Be concerned about the pastor who contributes to the culture of consumerism instead of combating idolatry.
Be concerned about the pastor who sees the church as a stepping stone instead of seeing it as a custodian of Christ’s kingdom.
Church members are not to follow a pastor/minister blindly… even after decades of ministry. Instead… every Sunday… every time he speaks… every time he suggests a direction for the congregation, follow what is written in 1 John 4:1, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”