Lessons Learned in My First Year of Ministry: Lesson #3 - Remember Who You Work For

I write this blog article as I am sitting at one of the local 'Mom & Pop' diners in town. It is a lively gathering, filled with food, friendships, an occasional curse word, lots of laughter, and cigarette smoke. It's Saturday morning, and most of the people in the room have worked hard all week, struggling to squeeze a living wage out of the economically barren Northern Michigan. Though today will be filled with other kids of labor (snow plowing, stacking firewood, etc), they assemble here according to custom.

As I survey the room, I realize that everyone here has an employer (or at least did, considering the number of retirees in the room). Some work for the local school system. Another is a Walmart employee in neighboring Petoskey. Still another works at a marina down the road. This morning there is also a professional trapper, a laid-off road worker, a carpet cleaner, a local business owner, and even a waitress from a competing restaurant in town.

As I look across the room, I can't help think how different my profession is from everyone else. Yes, there are of course similarities--and these similarities should never be minimized. Yet there is also a key difference. Who do I work for? Who is my employer?

Many would say it is the church body. To a certain extent this is true. There is a level of accountability to the church. They call me, they can 'uncall' me. They set my wage and determine salary increases (or decreases). There are certain expectations that I am expected to meet.

Yet, to a greater degree, the above identification of my employer would be false. Several months ago someone from the church became angry with a decision I had made to place a table in the foyer to display literature. In my reply, I stated my reasons for the decision, and my commitment to it. The individuals quipped that I didn't have the right to make that decision because "you work for the church". Of course, by that statement he was saying I work for him. Nevertheless, both statements are profoundly untrue.

I heard a story that happened many years ago. A young, first-time pastor (such as myself), presented to his congregation the need to install a sound-system in the auditorium. The church weighed and debated the matter, and ultimately decided to purchase a system on an agreed upon price. The next week, the young pastor took the initiative to remove the last pew in the auditorium to make room for the expected system.

Several in the church were outraged that the pastor would take this action without the "church's" approval. In the next congregational meeting, he was official censored, and the young pastor publicly apologized.

Sadly, both misunderstood who the pastor really worked for. The pastor, and the people, thought the pastor was accountable to the church. This is not the scriptural way. The Bible does teach an accountability, but not accountability to a man, or even a group of human beings. Instead, scripture teaches accountability to itself....to the word of God.

Scripturally, the pastor isn't accountable to the congregation. Instead, the congregation keeps the pastor accountable to the Word of God. Likewise, the congregation isn't accountable to the pastor. Instead, the pastor keeps the congregation accountable to Scripture.

Recently I received a letter from another pastor. A few of our congregation were involved in a Christmas program that he had scheduled for his Sunday evening church service. He was writing to inform me of this (which was kind), and to ask that I give permission for my congregants to be absent from church.

Permission???

I'm afraid this pastor misunderstood accountability. My congregants to not need my permission to do anything. They are not accountable to me. I, however, do have the sacred duty to hold them accountable to Scripture. It works both ways.

Pastors, remember who you work for. We do not work for any human being, nor a group of human beings. We do not work for an assembly of people. Conversely, remember that we are not dictators or potentates. As the church (or its members) can not order us around like an employee, nor can we control the lives of those in our congregation.

Pastors, we work for the Lord. Take confidence in this. In the midst of difficulties and tensions within your church, remember who you really work for. It is HIS evaluation of your job performance that matters!