"Professional" Ministry
June 10, 2009(thoughts on Yoder’s The Fullness of Christ, continued)
Yoder continues to rattle the cage of ministerial exclusivism by examining the concept of a ”professional” in ministry. He successfully, I think, exposes the faulty logic supporting the mono-pastoral pattern, which says that it is the increasing complexity of our organizations that necessitates the Sr. Pastor role be a “professional” role in which he is expected to personally embody the 5-fold (or 7, depending on your views) ministry. Some of the things Yoder notes about the “professional” mindset are insightful, for example,
“The professional discourages amateurism. It is assumed that the serveral aspects of his task are best done together, all by one person. His own work, according to this concept, would be less well done if shared with other, less competent agents or if the several strands of the task were separated. This centering on a cluster of numerous tasks done by one person is clearly counter to the Pauline body concept. The point in the Pauline multiple ministry notion is not that by the division of labor more can get done, nor that there is too much for one man to do, nor that people are more likely to support an organization which needs them, nor that democracy has taught that laity wnt a voice in their government. All these things may be true, but they are not the main points. Paul’s point is that each task can be better done by its own bearer.” (79)
“..by its own bearer.” In other words, what has come to be called the “Sr. Pastor” (or by whatever name the top-dog goes ) is a conglomeration of usurped roles, many of which are not, actually, best done by that person at all ! Moreover, it is the Spirit of God who calls and equips persons for ministry in all of the various ways. “Professionals” are trained in colleges, universities, and other kinds of educational institutions; and they are evaluated by peers and colleagues who have been similarly trained and approved. Ministers, according to Scripture, are not necessarily so trained and approved (as helpful and significant formal education is!).
What then, should formal education be abandoned? By no means. However, it must be viewed not as a means to an end (a job in the world of professional ministry) but as part , and only part, of a total package of equipping and development for universal ministry. When we look at it that way, every Christian can consider some form of Christian education as valuable for ministry; not just those who want to take on a role of Sr. Pastor in an institutional church setting. Moreover, the focus of education should be, not the development of the “professional” but the development of the minister in the true Pauline sense of the word.
Can you imagine with me what that would look like? . . .
