Professional Ministry (3)

When I started in professional ministry, I thought that the problem was with the people doing the job. If we could get the right people into ministry, the situation for the church could be turned round. I soon realised that the problem was with the role itself, and not with the people doing it.

The people are paying the minister, so they expect him to perform. The minister is being paid, so he feels that he has to perform. Because he has to perform, he has to keep things under control. The more the pressure, the greater the incentive to control. However, the more things are controlled, the more the Spirit is shut out.

I feel sorry for anyone who loves the traditional ministry role. I feel sorry for anyone who earns their living in this occupation. They will find it quite difficult to move into a network church. The reality is that it is difficult to earn a living as a pastor and fit into the house church movement. It would be attempting to combine to conflicting models of church and ministry that do not mix.