OVERCOMING PROFESSIONALISM IN THE MINISTRY—By Paul Southern
OVERCOMING PROFESSIONALISM IN THE MINISTRY---By Paul Southern OVERCOMING PROFESSIONALISM
IN THE MINISTRY
By Paul Southern
Broadly speaking, the term “profession” means one’s principal calling, vocation, or employment. In this respect every Christian pursues a calling. Paul said: “I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called” (Ephesians 4:1). But in a more restricted sense relevant to our discussion, profession means the occupation to which one devotes oneself. Among these professions there are three that have long been recognized by the world as the “learned professions.” They are the professions of theology, law and medicine. The subject assigned for this study has to do with “Overcoming Dangerous Tendencies Toward Professionalism in the Ministry.” Professionalism simply means the following of a profession for a livelihood or for a gain. The term “ministry” relates to the various duties and responsibilities of a Christian who serves as a teacher and preacher of God’s word. That there are dangerous tendencies associated with this work is assumed in the very wording of the subject. However, it does not imply that every tendency is malignant or insidious among the people of God. As long as we exist in the flesh we must guard against dangerous trends in all phases of church life and government.
Bible students are aware ot the fact that God uses men in the ministry of the word. Jesus said to the apostles: “Go ye therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Soirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:19-20). “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15). To Timothy, Paul said: “Preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2), “And the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). In its proper spiritual essence, preaching is the noblest calling on earth. Martin Luther was impressed with the solemnity of this responsibility when he prayed: “Lord, enable us to be faithful stewards of the gospel.” The primary purpose of the faithful minister is that he preach the pure gospel of Christ, in word and deed, without addition or subtraction, and also without apology, fear, or favor.
It is the highest and hardest of all callings to be a preacher of the word, but it is the one on which the church continually depends. When Elisha requested a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, he was told that he had asked a hard thing (2 Kings 2:9-10). Paul admonished Timothy to “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3).
There is no substitute for the place of preaching in the purpose of God. “We have this treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7), and “We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). However, preaching must not be a profession but a passion. Paul said, “Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:16). While he waited for Silas and Timothy in Athens, “his spirit was provoked within him as he beheld the city full of idols” (Acts 17:16). The paganism of the city provoked a paroxysm in Paul, and nothing could keep him from preaching the word. Without such a passion no preacher should pollute the pulpit with his person. The danger of professionalism in the ministry is real. It has posed a problem to the church ever since apostolic times. Paul described some who “preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: the one do it of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel; but the other proclaim Christ of faction, not sincerity, thinking to raise up affliction for me in my bonds” (Php_1:15-17). Everything about the work of a preacher lends itself toward professionalism, so we must constantly be on guard against dangerous tendencies. To some of these things we turn our attention in this discussion.
A. Professional Pulpiteers
There is always the danger of our becoming pro-fessional pulpiteers or parsons in the work of the ministry. This tendency may be reflected in a variety of ways.
1. Preparation. We mention first the matter of preparation. Surely, it is important that one make preparation for the work of preaching. Paul said to Timothy: “Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). “Till I come, give heed to reading, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13). It is axiomatic that, “You cannot teach what you do not know, and you cannot lead where you do not go.” But any discussion regarding training preachers evokes the inevitable fear of developing professional parsons. Some Christians seem to think that professionalism in the ministry can be developed only in Bible schools. They conclude that all Christian colleges have been turned into institutions for making professional preachers. In their militant efforts to guard against such tendencies these critics make a profession out of keeping professionalism out of the ministry. The danger of professionalism is real, but the real factor involved is not in a man’s training, but in his motives. The fact that a preacher has had the privileges of a formal education should not make him any more professional than one who has not had such privileges. Professionalism may be as great a danger among “untrained” preachers as it is among the formally educated ones. And certainly, one does not have to be a college graduate in order to be prepared to preach. Some of the greatest preachers the church has known never saw the inside of a college class room except as visitors. They schooled themselves in the word of the Lord, and by self discipline became powerful preachers. But preparation for preaching is necessary, whether it is done in a college or a corn field. When a person quits studying, he should hang some crepe on his nose. If his mind is not dead, it soon will be. A young man trying to enroll in Abilene Christian College a few years ago must have had some kind of professional preparation in mind. Coming to the head of the Bible department for guidance in registration, he said: “I have entered the ministry. Now what must I do next?” The next time we saw him he was “jerking soda” at the corner drug. That is where he should stay until he gets the proper spiritual insight regarding the work of saving souls. In speaking of preparation let us remember that no man is prepared to preach the gospel until he has developed a passion for the souls of men. He may speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but if he has not love he becomes “sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). He may have the highest academic degrees the world offers, and “know all mysteries and all knowledge,” but if he has not love, he is nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2).
2. Pose. Preachers sometimes become professional in their pose. They may develop a fixed posture for artistic effect or in affectation. It is not unusual to hear someone say, “That man looks like a preacher.” A photographer at a home wedding approached a gentlemen before the ceremony and said: “I presume you are the minister, since you have such an official look.” We have all heard the classic story of a traveling salesman who stepped from a train in a small Southern city. Mistaking him for the visiting preacher who was to hold their summer meeting, two deacons stepped forward to welcome him. But the salesman excused himself, saying: “Pardon me, gentlemen. I am not a preacher. It is indigestion that makes me look this way.” This professional pose may manifest itself in a preacher’s bearing or gestures, sometimes designedly adopted. He may fold his hands in front, or behind, parrot-fashion, thinking that such affectation is a part of his priestly role.
3. Phraseology. The professional pulpiteer who develops a distinctive phraseology. His pious platitudes become couched in such theological terms that the average person cannot understand him. Soteri- ology, transubstantiation, eschatology, and apologetics may be common parlance to the preacher, but these terms are professional jargon to the pew. Gospel preachers should always speak in terms easily understood. When souls are at stake, one’s speech should be simple.
4. Preachments. Pulpiteers are likewise tempted to be professional in their homiletical pronouncements. Sermons delivered in such a mechanical style become little more than empty preachments. When a preacher becomes more interested in heads than in hearts, he needs to go back to the prayer room. Some preachers seem to have a professional interest in statistics, and all their sermons are designed to that end. One gospel preacher was disturbed because the sermon he had delivered the night before did not bring some visible results. He indicated that the sermon had always brought fifteen or twenty responses. “Tonight,” he said, “I am going to preach my sugar stick. I always smoke them out with it, and I am expecting thirty or forty responses.” In dealing with never-dying souls, such a statement smacks of sac-rilegious professionalism.
Matthew Arnold was wont to say that for some people the favorite book in the Bible was the book of Numbers. Preachers must constantly be on guard against the pernicious snare in statistics. In the kingdom of God quality counts as well as quantity. In fact, it is always better to weigh heads than to count them. Preachers who set quotas, punch clocks, and operate on a mechanical schedule should be in a powerhouse and not in the pulpit. Synthetic sermons constructed from ecclesiastical ersatz have no place in the purpose of God. In order to heal the hearts of men sermons must be smelted in the crucible of life.
5. Privilege. Pulpitarian privilege is another pro-fessional tendency that we must constantly guard against. Preachers are afforded many special privileges that are not granted other Christians. Church members unwittingly surround ministers with benefits and courtesies that may be abused. In social gatherings the preacher becomes the center of attraction, and every one is wont to listen when he speaks. Because of his religious activities, he is given what the world calls “the preferments of the church.” Civil authorities honor the dignity of the “clerical office,” and excuse ministers when others would be held responsible. Transportation lines extend these gratuities to include financial benefits in the form of reduced rates, and sometimes free passes. The minister who expects and demands such privileges makes of his high calling a secular profession.
6. Piety. Another trait of the professional pulpiteer is reflected in Pharisaical piety. Due to the weaknesses of the flesh, this has always posed a problem. For this cause Christ often rebuked the Pharisees, saying: “Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:7-8). Preachers today are not immune to this dangerous tendency. We must constantly guard against an air of purity and a “holier than thou” at-titude. In this respect preaching is beset with many perils and subtle temptations. We must be careful not to become godless in the service of God. Familiarity with sacred things may become dangerous. Preachers may talk theoretically about religious experiences without actually enjoying them. They may deceive themselves into thinking that they possess what they are talking about. They may preach about prayer and pray very little themselves. They may plead for Bible study, and do very little devotional reading themselves. They may persuade men to service 'in the kingdom while they are lazy and indifferent. A faithful steward of the gospel lives the gospel, striving for a life of genuine piety and godliness, with the help that comes from on high. The faithful steward must himself possess the treasure which he seeks to administer. Let us beware lest we lose a sense of reality in our preaching. Milton said: “He who would be a true poet ought himself to be a true poem.” Good fruit comes only from good trees, and good effects come only from good causes. A preacher must himself be a sermon in the truth of the message which he proclaims.
B. Professional Policemen
Preachers sometimes assume the role of professional policemen in the church. They may suffer from an omnipotence complex and feel obligated to police the brotherhood. A man obsessed with such a compulsion attempts to pour everyone into his theological mold. Such a drive manifests itself in various ways.
1. Peepers. First of all, it results in a lot of pulpitarian peeping. Pious professors in the days of Christ were continually snooping around trying to see something wrong in the Master’s program. When the Pharisees saw Jesus eating with publicans and sinners, they considered the sight something serious to behold (Matthew 9:10-13). Paul described certain false brethren “who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 2:4).
Modern preachers are not immune to this evil tendency. With microscopic eyes some are constantly looking for minute infractions of what they hold to be spiritual law. As peeping toms, they want to bring everything under their closest scrutiny. One preacher, for example, considered it his responsibility to spy on church members whom he suspected of wrongdoing. Night after night he made calls and followed cars to check on various tips and rumors. Another preacher kept a file on prominent men in the brotherhood. Once he offered to lend a minister his files to be used against a fellow Christian in a church quarrel. But the kingdom of God is not a police state where Chris-tians spy on Christians.
2. Protectors. Peeping preachers soon develop a professional interest in protecting the faith. Inflated with a kind of egotistical blubber, some assume the role of universal guardians. Like some of old they trust “in themselves that they are righteous, and set all others at nought” (Luke 18:9). The Pharisees professed great regard for the new law when they accused the Lord’s disciples of profaning the sabbath (Matthew 12:1-8). It was this feigned protective interest that caused the Pharisees and Herodians on another occasion to question Jesus about paying tribute to Caesar (Matthew 22:15-22). Their real motive was to try to ensnare him in his talk. Under the guise of guardians preachers today sometimes develop exaggerated ideas of their protective interest in the gospel. We must certainly “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints” (Judges 3). But, there is a difference in gospel fact and human fancy. A professional preacher may become more interested in defending his reputation than in declaring the truth of the gospel.
3. Punishers. Preachers with a policeman complex enjoy the role of punishers. They may become un-scrupulous in their efforts to inflict punishment upon their victims. In one congregation the preacher, by peeping-tom methods and a spurious interpretation, thought he had caught a brother in a serious offense. He indicted the man before the elders and insisted that public acknowledgement be made. While the preacher was away in a meeting, the accused brother made a public statement to the church. When the preacher returned, he rebuked the elders for not dealing more harshly with the man. He said: “If you had waited until I returned, I would have made that fellow crawl down the aisle on his hands and knees"
C. Professional Politicians
It may sound irreverent to some to speak of pro-fessional politicians in the church. But due to unholy pride and ambition we must constantly guard against this danger. It may manifest itself in several ways.
1. Parleys. The man with a political axe to grind can muster others for such a parley. The tendency to develop brotherhood cliques poses a constant danger. Power politics may operate in the church as well as in the congress. Thus some brethren try to control the church by a balance of power. Back stage strategy promotes many plans and projects. When preachers pull a political pow-wow, anything can happen.
2. Placement. This political spirit usually crops up in the placement of preachers. Someone looking for a place to preach begins to pull the wires of his friends. The result is that politically minded brethren sometimes reduce evangelism to common horse swapping. It has been reported that some brethren will not move from one location to another until they have selected the men they want to succeed them. Others say, “You get me a meeting and I'll get you one." This is certainly a poor way to convert sinners to Christ and build up the church. If a preacher is properly prepared, the place will seek him. He does not have to stoop to politics in order to be used in preaching the word. Charles Spurgeon once said: “A good horse seldom lacks a rider.”
3. Polemics. Politics is usually responsible for most polemics among brethren. These aggressive attacks and refutations are more often associated with opinions than with doctrines. When sarcasms and invectives are hurled at one another, the church always suffers. In this connection, Abraham’s statement to Lot is quite appropriate. “Let there be no strife between me and thee, for we are brethren” (Genesis 13:8). Charles Spurgeon once said to a group of young preachers: “Preach nothing down but the devil, and nothing up but Christ.”
We need to foster respect for the church and for the noble souls who help to further it. We should never abuse a fellow minister. No preacher can discredit his colleagues without sharing the shadow himself. If we limelight the unworthy, people will come to feel that the whole field is infested. Rome was not built in a day, but it was burned in a night.
D. Professional Panhandlers
Although there are very few known panhandlers in the church, history shows that this is a dangerous tendency that we must guard against. Indulgences were not forever buried among the ashes of the dark ages.
1. Pay. It goes without saying that “The laborer is worthy of his hire” (1 Timothy 5:18), and “Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn” (1 Corinthians 9:9). “Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14). “But let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things” (Galatians 6:6).
Although the Bible teaches that ministers should be supported, gospel preachers are poorly paid in comparison with professional men of equal training. Churches are sometimes responsible for this situation. For instance, one good sister said: “If we are going to pay the preacher for his work, let’s get all we can out of him while he is here.” In spite of this attitude there is no place in the church for professional panhandlers. Preachers should examine their motives. The man who will not preach without pay should go back to the farm. No person is prepared to proclaim the gospel until he is willing to preach unknown, unsung, and unrewarded. A faithful minister will preach to save himself, to save others, and to demonstrate his love for the Lord and his cause.
2. Purloiners. It may be revolting to some to think that we have a few purloiners in the church. However, the man who sets a price on his preaching will also demand that which does not belong to him. Peter warned us regarding those who with feigned words make merchandise of the saints (2 Peter 2:3). Paul described such preachers as high-handed hucksters of the gospel (2 Corinthians 2:17). A preacher who demands discounts on purchases, or one who leaves debts for the church to pay is little more than a professional purloiner. No minister dedicated to the cause of Christ will place a “What-Am-I-Offered ?” sign on his services. He realizes that the righteous will not be forsaken, nor will his seed have to beg bread (Psalms 37:25).
E. Professional PHests
Another danger that the church must guard against is the tendency to develop professional priests. In Roman Catholicism religious authority inheres in the church. The hierarchy is composed of those who have been duly ordained by accredited bishops. We are not immune to such things, so there is a constant danger of developing an unscriptural In contrast with this Catholic doctrine the New Testament teaches that all Christians are scriptural priests (1 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 2:9-10). Yet some among us have at times exhibited a professional attitude. Like the hireling who flees when the wolf appears (Jno. 10: 12), they show little interest in the flock’s spiritual welfare. One man said: “As long as I can keep them coming in the front door faster than they go out the back door, I should worry.”
Thus we sometimes save the lost and then lose the saved through neglect. The professional priest leaves the wounded man on the Jericho road, but the good Samaritan stops to bind up his wounds (Luke 10). General Wm. Booth of the Salvation Army used to say: “To shepherd the ninety and nine is an easy task compared with going out to seek the one sheep that is lost.”
F. Professional Pastors
Perhaps there is no greater tendency toward pro-fessionalism in the ministry than that of developing a pastor system. Good men in their enthusiasm to see the church grow may assume dictatorial authority. Occasionally we read of a preacher who “has taken over the work” in a certain place. Such a person overlooks the fact that the elders are overseers of the flock (Acts 20:28). The church is not a “parson- archy,” and ministers must not “take over” the church. They should simply take hold and serve under the direction of the elders. The pastoral tendency on the part of preachers is exhibited in a variety of ways.
1. Planning. It usually manifests itself in the plan-ning that is done. “Push-Button pastors” usually control the work of a congregation in which they operate. They speak of “my elders” and “my secretary,” and want the last word in any plans that are made. Instead of giving themselves to the ministry of the word, they spend their time in doing the work of elders.
2. Promoting. Professional pastors are great pro-moters. They keep a continuous round of special activities going all the time. Their projects are so numerous and varied that several office clerks are necessary to keep up with details. One preacher, for instance, has a member’s information form that would require hours to fill out. It includes six legal pages of two columns each, the equivalent of twelve pages of single spaced material. The questions cover everything from blood type and tooth fillings to the kind of automobile you drive. Such a preacher wastes too much time on the mechanics of systematizing. There are too many cogs within cogs and wheels within wheels. The church is not a mechanism, but an organism. Organization, technique, and administration must not be allowed to overshadow preaching.
Some preachers spend too much time just keeping the wheels turning. In some places one hears little more than the rattling of ecclesiastical machinery. There is an expert for every purpose, ranging from youth minister and director of curriculum to a specialist in the problems of old age. Such a program makes the church look like some kind of religious club. We must guard against considering religion as the amusement of youth or a vocation for old maids. A man may be a glorious glad-hander, a clever promoter, a professional joiner, and a powerful after-dinner speaker and still be a poor preacher of the word. When reverent people go to worship, they want to hear someone who has meditated in the night watches with the Almighty, one who can point them to the keeper of lights and the Saviour of their souls.
3. Preventing. Another aspect of professional “pastoring” involves the matter of preventing. When a preacher becomes “the pastor” of the church, he pre-vents many worthy projects from being presented to the members. Elders may never see or hear some of the Macedonian calls because the preacher intercepts them. Some preachers prevent the bishops from having the evangelists they desire for gospel meetings.
Preventing Professionalism
As indicated at the outset of this discussion, the church will always be faced with dangerous tendencies. In overcoming these dangers the entire membership must be on fire with evangelism. We are cognizant of the social implications of the gospel, but the keynote of all our activities must be that of evangelism. When the church was scattered abroad in New Testament times, the saints went everywhere preaching the word (Acts 8:1-4). Evangelism is a corollary of discipleship. Priestly people must perform their priestly work.
It is significant that all real revivals of religion have come to pass through preaching. When Isaiah arose to preach, a new concept of holiness flourished in the earth. When Jeremiah walked out of the fields of Anathoth to prophesy, a new morality came to his nation. When Amos left the flocks and furrows of Tekoa to preach, a new sense of social justice emerged. When Paul bolted the Pharisaic party to preach the gospel of Christ, he rocked the Roman Empire and turned the world upside down. When John Chrysostom was banished from his beloved city of Constantinople by godless leaders whom he had rebuked, the people said: “Better that Constantinople cease to be than that John Chrysostom should cease preaching."
Truly, there is no substitute for preaching. God give us men of proper humility who are dedicated to
the proeiamation of the gospel throughout the whole world. What this old world needs is to look into the face of the man of God who has climbed the storm- swathed side of Sinai and the blood-stained hill of Calvary saying, “Thus saith the Lord.”