Ridgell's Originals

 Let me honest here.  I am a preacher.  I love preachers.  I enjoy preaching and I think God uses my preaching to move people toward the Kingdom.  Anything I say here is not about hearts.  Or passion.  But it is about fixing a broken model.  A model that I am not sure reflects Scripture. 

I also get that our church/preacher model is very cultural.  It is part of the American culture to value a pastor, a leader, a shepherd.  Right along with buildings and budgets.  

And I get our church culture.  We are preacher centric.  Hence the pressure to have a designated preacher.  Or to get a better preacher.

I am not sure you can find this model in the Bible.  Doesn't nake it automatically wrong.  Unless you insist we have to follow the Biblical pattern and example.  Then the preacher centric model is dead in the water.  

You have traveling evangelists.  And temporary short term preachers.  Antioch may have had a preacher staff that took turns doing mission trips.  

You may even have a located preacher in Phillip.  But he was an evangelist.  You even have paid elders.  And paid teaching widows that teach younger woman and do good works.

What you don't have is one man doing the bulk of the teaching and most of the leading.

So who preaches if this is not the right model?

The men of the congregation.  Maybe you hire an evangelist who preaches some.  Maybe the elders preach.  Maybe you bring someone in from another church occasionally.  I know a lot of gifted teachers and preachers that will never be in front of their church.  I mean, we pay someone to do that.

I am beginning to hear of this model being tried.  Often in smaller churches, but sometimes in larger ones as well.  

Of course, we may have to redefine what is a good sermon/preacher.  Good Bible foundation.  Good character.  Be nice if a good communicator.  We often put this last requirement first when looking for the next preacher.

There are a lot of Doctors, policemen, plumbers, ranchers, teenagers, and lawyers who are good preachers.  

But who leads a church like this?  The elders.  At least that seems to be what the early church did.

But who is responsible for the content?  Elders.

But what about training?  No professionals in charge?  

So has that model really worked?  Maybe the problem is that we think the pros have all the answers and so they should be in charge.

Is that really the model God gave us for the church?

But who will do all the work?  Deacons, members, us.

But most churches may want to keep the present model.  Most resources in the Sunday morning assembly.  Very preacher centric.  So get a good one.  Hire one from your sister congregation if he is better than the one you have.

Preachers keep feeling the frustration of being treated like an employee.  But at least get the biggest paycheck you can.

Personally, I would put staff money in evangelists, elders, and older women.  

Let the shepherds lead by example and teaching.

Get a bunch of deacons to be sure our needs are met.

Expect everyone of us to be active ministers.  

Stop the show up, shut up, pay up model.

And we might just see unprecedented growth.

Or... I might not have a clue.

But I do know our current model is not working and we are dying.    

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM