The Expendable Congregation.

Have you ever been thrown under the bus? Not literally but metaphorically? This is precisely what is happening in many Christian congregations in North America and elsewhere. The way churches used to behave is radically different from the way churches are acting in the twenty first century. With the population growth and growth in congregations, the pastors in some churches feel overwhelmed and unable to pastor the congregation, so what many churches have done is limiting the ministry roles of pastors and delegating more responsibility to lay leaders and lay ministers.

At first this seems exciting to the laity because it gives us more of a responsibility within the church, and we feel more empowered as to the direction of our faith. However, what is the result of putting less pastoral responsibility on the pastor and more responsibility on the laity? I argue that when this happens in a church, the laity actually becomes expendable. When our pastors are overwhelmed with the responsibility of actually pastoring a large congregation, there should be additional pastoral support given to the pastors by the church government. Yes, as laity, we are all called to serve, but like the pastors who take on too much responsibility, the same can happen to the laity. However, when the laity becomes overwhelmed, we usually burn out too quick and end up quitting our ministry roles.

This church growth paradigm usually ends up throwing many regular people under the bus because the leadership overpowers the laity in this direction. Jesus warned leaders not to Lord it over their flock, (Matthew 20:25-28) 25But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. 26It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” This verse is not an excuse for pastors to wrongly convince their flock that they are worthless if they do not serve, it’s a warning for Pastors to precisely not to take this attitude towards their flock.

True ministry leaders and pastors are servants, and in a good church there will be an equal balance between the pastoral ministry roles and responsibilities, and the laity doing their roles of service in the church. This is Mike.

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