Ridgell's Originals

It happened again Sunday. Someone asked why I don't go into preaching. I first reminded them that I preach a lot for Herald of Truth -- just a different place each Sunday. When I am not preaching somewhere for HoT, I am often preaching somewhere as a fill-in or as a guest preacher. And even at Southern Hills I preach most Wed. nites during the school year. But I know what they mean. Why don't I go into full-time located preaching?

It dawns on me that I have the wrong philosophy for today's preachers in the church of Christ. I think preachers ought to preach. The hot phrase for preachers today is Senior Minister. I am not sure I would want to do that.

I don't want to lead a church. I'd leave that to the elders. Senior ministers want to lead churches.

I think preachers should be evangelists, not pastors. I think there is Biblical evidence for preaching elders, but I don't think it automatically comes with the territory. I think elders should do the pastoring. And by nature I am an evangelist.

I think a shared pulpit is the best approach to communicating God's Word today. We do a lot of that in HIP, our Wed. nite service. I think that is a good model for Sunday too.

So in today's church culture I am not sure I could even fit the model for what churches, and preachers, are expected to be.

So maybe I am not cut out to be a local preacher. Some day it will come full circle and once again churches will want preaching evangelists. I figure I'll be about eighty by then.

So maybe that's why I am not interested in being a local preacher any more. But I do think some of my reasons need to be thought thru by preachers and churches. What should local preachers really do?

What do you think?