SHEPHERDING GOD'S FLOCK

Résumé du livre

The traditional pastoral role has changed over the last decades, largely due to the growth of mega-churches. The senior pastor has tended to become more an executive leader with an emphasis on public preaching as the figurehead of a large organisation.

The traditional pastoral role has been superseded in large part in these situations, with much of the regular pastoral role being performed by a range of associate pastors/elders with a primary function as pastors, with little if any preaching component.

In the past, many churches did not have any pastoral assistance, and often the pastor was assisted by deacons, performing de facto pastoral roles, whilst also performing the normal administrative functions usually ascribed to deacons.

This has meant that often the expectancy of performing this de facto pastoral role, has led to a more selective process for choosing deacons, often precluding some well-equipped and gifted men from a serving ministry because they did not simultaneously qualify as elders.

We look at the pastoral role generally, but with a view to multiplying this role in order to meet the needs of growing congregations through the introduction of elders. Some practical considerations are given for the transition to introduce these changes.

Alongside this, what is the function of women in leadership ministries of the church?