“A Widening Gap Between Clergy and Laity”
“THERE is in American evangelical churches a widening gap between clergy and laity,” notes Robert K. Johnston, a professor of theology and culture. In Ministerial Formation, a magazine of the World Council of Churches, he mentions some of the factors causing this estrangement: With family pressures mounting, pastors want work schedules that resemble “the weekend rotations of doctors.” If the pastor does work extra hours, he expects to be compensated for the effort. In addition, says the professor, “as ethical and legal pressures increase,” theological seminaries caution their graduates to prevent problems by having “close friends only among their ‘club’ of other clergy” and to treat their parishioners as “clients.” Not surprisingly, many parishioners, in turn, view their pastors as belonging to an elite class out of touch with the needs and problems of the average churchgoer.
What kind of pastor could narrow the gap? One study that analyzed why pastors fail in their ministry found that parishioners do not view a pastor’s academic knowledge and professional skills as crucial. Church members are not looking for an intellectual giant, an eloquent speaker, or a skillful administrator. Above all, they want their pastor to be a “man of God” who practices what he preaches. If that quality is lacking, says Professor Johnston, “no amount of information conveyed or skill demonstrated” will bridge the gap.
What does the Bible say are the requirements for an elder in the congregation? “The overseer should therefore be irreprehensible, a husband of one wife, moderate in habits, sound in mind, orderly, hospitable, qualified to teach, not a drunken brawler, not a smiter, but reasonable, not belligerent, not a lover of money, a man presiding over his own household in a fine manner, having children in subjection with all seriousness . . . Moreover, he should also have a fine testimony from people on the outside, in order that he might not fall into reproach and a snare of the Devil.”—1 Timothy 3:2-4, 7.