What kind of pastor are you looking for?

I was in the fellowship of pastors and we got to share some views on church and the current trend that we found that is not benefitting the church.

The scenario is:
The members or the leaders (mostly educated and highly qualified in the secular world) somehow began to complain about their pastoral staff/s. Somehow, they manage to find faults and dissatisfaction with the pastor or the pastor’s wife (termed as the most misunderstood personnel in the entire church).

Many pastors are discouraged and wondered if there are any more values in serving God. Their only desire is to serve God and the people whom God has placed under their care. But no matter how much they tried and how hard they worked, they don’t seem to satisfy these people.

Now, let me ask you this question (a question that I am sincerely looking for an answer): What kind of pastor are you looking for? What qualities that you think should make up of the 21st century image of a pastor? I think it would be most helpful if you would participate in this and write your comment and pass it on to your friends who may have a comment in this. Because pastors who come across this blog may benefit from it.

But with one condition, please be constructive. If you have any grievances against your pastors, then you are not being objective. Don’t tell us your church’s name. Just tell us about your opinion. I believe we as pastors may benefit and learn much from you.

And if you do come across a good pastor (in your opinion), share with us too. With such positive remarks, let us cut off Satan’s scheme to destroy the church through negative feelings and actions against the pastors in the churches. You love God, right? You want to see God’s church growing and experiencing revival, right? We want to preach the gospel to the end of the earth, right? This could only possible when the pastors and the members are working together as ONE (UNITY). Satan knew this and he is all out to destroy this mutual trust between us. He is destroying trust between good people in the church and caused so much hurts and pains that were uncalled for. So if you care for us, as much as we care for you, please tell us.

Misunderstood!

Edited:

I was lovingly told by one of my reader that I have been a bit too harsh on my words in this particular blog. Very negative in fact. So after much consideration and thoughts and reading through it over and over again, I decided to edit the blog. Yes, I believe a blog as such that sounds negative may "stumble" some. That would be my last reason for writing. I stand corrected. So I edited this blog and put on a more positive note in it. Thnx bro for your concern. God bless.

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Have you ever been misunderstood? Or at least you thought that you have been. How do you usually respond when you think that you have been misunderstood?

To start with, whom do you think have misunderstand you? What was the issue? The people or the matter?

Generally, the first thing that comes to our mind when we think that we have been misunderstood is to explain. In actual fact, because it is a misunderstanding, a lot of factors are involved. Why was there misunderstanding in the first place? Is a third party involved?

Recently, I felt that I have been misunderstood…again! Instead of explaining my way (of which I did try) but the results are not what I ideally wished it to be. Instead, I felt that the relationship was strained and we could never go back to the same way again. This is a complicated problem because it involved a third party.

I was very sad and of course my husband was sad because I was sad. I began to recollect, as a pastor’s wife, how many times I was misunderstood. If I speak, I was dominant; if I don’t speak, then I am not concern. If I serve earnestly, I was bossy; if I don’t do anything, then I’m lazy.

There comes a time when I want to just give up, pack and go…anyway that don’t have human being. I know that’s not possible because even heaven and hell have them. I complain to God, “You have called me into the ministry. I know that I have tried my best to serve you and to please you. But I cannot please everyone in the ministries.

I was asked to read a blog where the members have set up to write against the senior pastor. They sounded so godly and the pastor such a jerk. I don’t really know what happened in that church but I just asked for mercy and grace. Jesus exhorted us to be righteous but also kind and compassionate. Christian principles are rooted more in love and acceptance than hatred and dissensions. Woe unto those who thought they are doing God a favour by causing division in the church! Recognize the source: God or Satan, who like to cause division and dissension?

Maybe there are some who think that by causing such problems in so that “we could be kept humbled”. I almost fell off my chair when I heard that.

Being misunderstood is not a nice feeling; being unable to fully explain myself is a humbling experience. I only want to please God and I have a very simple mission: to preach the gospel and to raise up disciples for Jesus Christ.

So I resolved to not be bothered by negative remarks but to continue to serve God in whatever capacity that the Lord has given me. I will pray harder (if there's such expression); will preach more diligently; to love even more and most of all to forgive ALL!

OCBC

OCBC means Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation, a Bank in Malaysia. A church member who is a multi-racial personnel (Scottish,Chinese, Indian, Malaysia and who knows what else is in his blood). Officially he’s known as a Eurasian. He has lived in KL for many years. So now, he looks a mix of Chinese and Caucasian. But he calls himself a OCBC – meaning “Orang Cina Bukan Cina”. Reason is he speaks Chinese, his heart feels like a Chinese but he’s not one. What he meant was, though in many ways, he is Chinese but in actual sense he is not.

There’s also another group of people who’s also called OCBC… the “Orang Christian Bukan Christian”. They took on the identity as Christians but they never practice nor even close to being one.

In the bible, Paul called them the carnal (fleshly) Christians whom we refer as “nominal Christian”. Sadly, there are quite a number found in the church, with or without them recognizing it. Reason being, as long as they confess that they are Christians, they think that should be enough to get them to heaven, or at least to see St Paul at the gate.

But the truth is, Jesus has taught us many things pertaining to our Christian walk with Him. James admonished us to become doer and not just hearer of our faith; Paul reminded us that we live by faith and not by works; Jesus gave us instructions during the Olivet discourse where we find the Beautitudes.

But I have a simple principle to follow or to check, in the form of questions:
1. Do I earnestly wanting to read the Bible and hunger for truth? Do I study the bible because I want to live by its principles?
2. Do I find it a joy to pray and worship God? Do I set aside time each day to have communion with Him? Not during rush hour because I only have 5 or 10 minutes to spare.
3. Am I proud of the church that I attend and will not be ashamed to introduce Jesus and the church to my friends? Am I bold enough to admit my belief to new friends?
4. Lastly, do I find it a joy to serve God in the church and the community? Volunteering my time and money for the course of preaching the gospel. Even if I know that dealing with people means making myself susceptible to hurts and pains, am I still willing to serve because I know that I serve God and not man?

I try to follow my heart and listen to the still small voice from the Holy Spirit to guide me each day. I live day by day, moment by moment, taking each day at a time. I will not rush and will not be pressured to act against my principles which I have learned from the bible. Not just someone senior told me so, and I follow, rather I have to be convinced based on the Word of God.
So all those OCBC out there, maybe it’s time to get serious with our faith. Amen!