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If

J.H. Quiring

I know it will never happen. No church will invite me to be their pastor at my age. If one should, wisdom would advise me to decline. But that must not prevent me from indulging in the luxury of imagining the improbable.

Having reviewed my own pastoral ministry with its successes and failures, and presumably learned something from my experience, and having occupied the pew long enough to view the ministry from another perspective, I feel entitled to ask the futile question: “If I were given another opportunity to serve as a pastor, what kind of pastor would I strive to be?”

First, let me state it negatively. I would not strive to be crowned king of the castle, domineering over those in my charge. I would not choose to be, or be made to be, a chore boy, using up my time and energy doing legitimate things that would distract from my main assignment. I would not pose as the “professional” who feels entitled to negotiate salary and fringe benefits, but would be content with my wages. Acknowledging the diversity of gifts in the church, I would not choose to be chief program director, scheduling games and planning field trips and sightseeing tours. I would not consider it my responsibility to be actively involved in fundraising, digging into people’s pockets, but would faithfully expound what the Scriptures teach on the acquisition and use of material things.

What would I want to do?

Positively stated, I would strive to be a true shepherd after the example of Jesus, who knew His sheep and was known by them. I would aim to follow the exhortation of the apostle Peter to lead the flock by example and to feed, not fleece, the flock.

I would endeavour to know the members. I would like to know their names, where they live, their occupations, their family histories, their economic condition, their gifts and talents, their interests and ambitions, their views, their hurts and concerns. To obtain this information, I would meet with them casually and formally, at home and at work, listen to them with the intention to learn, give evidence that I love and care, and thus win their love, respect and confidence.

I would want the members to know me and what makes me tick. I would like to present myself as one with whom they can feel comfortable, not as one above them but as one who converses with them at eye-level. They should see in me a man of clay, subject to weaknesses, exposed to temptations and trials as they are and able to listen to them with understanding. I would like to be to them an encourager rather than a critic, and to help them see their worth and potential.

Having established a relationship built upon knowledge and understanding, I would like to minister to their needs in private conversations and public preaching. Like a good dietitian, I would want to plan the menu with their needs in mind, lest they suffer from malnutrition. I would want my sermons to be biblically sound, intellectually stimulating and practically applicable to the listening audience. I feel that only if I have listened to the congregation during the week do I have the right to invite them to come to listen to me on Sunday.

I would consider Sunday morning to be prime time, to be used most effectively for nurturing the spiritual life of the congregation. The sermon must be good, whether preached by the pastor or someone else. Church members should also be given the opportunity to benefit from the experiences and insights of other members of the church family.

I would like to have God presented in sermon and song as one worthy of our worship, but also as the one most able and willing to minister to our needs.

I would want to insist that song leaders extend their selection of songs, whether modern or traditional, to cover a much wider scope of human life than I see happening today. Songs can be used to teach, warn, exhort, encourage and invite. They must also become a medium through which we can express ourselves. We need to express our gratitude, our needs, our hopes and fears, our love and devotion, our confession and testimony.

It is a painful experience for a true shepherd to see the sheep go hungry and astray. Therefore, I must emphasize again: If I were a pastor again, I would concentrate my efforts on feeding the sheep and binding up their wounds lest I stand accused by the bleating of the sheep.

J.H. Quiring, a Mennonite Brethren statesman and long-time pastor, is now a member of Bakerview MB Church in Abbotsford, B.C.

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Last modified May 4, 2000.

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