Is a church without a pastor any different? Some churches still to this day choose not to have one and instead rely on 1,000 volunteers leading masses every week. It seems odd, right? In our current 24/7 society where we are always on the go and never have time to spare — even for ourselves — I can see why a pastorless church would be viewed as such. And yet, there were huge pools of people flocking to such churches for years. So what then, is the demand for pastors in churches? Are they really necessary?
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Jesus said: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
So here we are. We are a church without a pastor.
And there is a reason why we have no pastor—it’s because God doesn’t want us to have one! Just like Jesus sent his disciples out two by two, he has sent us out two by two. And just like Jesus told us to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” he has told us to spread the good news around town.
We are a church without a pastor because we’re all pastors. You might be thinking: But I’m not ordained! And you’re right—you don’t need to be ordained in order to preach the good news. But you do need something else: faith! Faith that God will use you as his mouthpiece; faith that what comes out of your mouth will be life-giving words that point people toward him; faith that even though you may be afraid sometimes or overwhelmed by what seems like an insurmountable task ahead (which it probably will be at times).
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A Church Without A Pastor
Some churches start without a pastor.
If a church starts without a pastor, it cannot be considered to be a church. There are many churches that begin this way and eventually find a pastor or continue on their own as an independent congregation. However, if you don’t have an elder, you do not have leadership in your church and therefore cannot function properly.
It’s important not to confuse the role of minister with that of elder/pastor/overseer (which are all synonymous). Ministers are typically laypeople who lead other lay people in worship services or teach weekly classes for small groups within the church; elders/pastors/overseers hold positions at the highest level of authority within each local congregation: they oversee how things run there; they make decisions regarding doctrine and practice; they meet regularly with other ministers and elders from nearby congregations; etc.
The church must have a leadership structure in place before ordaining a pastor.
As a church leader, you must take into consideration that the church must be established before ordaining a pastor. The church leadership needs to know how they will support their pastor financially and if needed with his family as well. This is where the deacons of the church play an important role in helping with this process.
A church without a pastor can have a minister or deacon lead it, but that does not make him the pastor.
A church without a pastor can have a minister or deacon lead it, but that does not make him the pastor. A minister is an ordained position, but not every ordained position is a pastor.
Ministers and deacons are usually paid positions, while pastors are often unpaid volunteers. Ministers do not have to be called into their position by God; they were chosen by people because they were good at something that needed doing (like leading worship). Deacons tend to be older men who have been around for awhile and know what needs doing in the church (like overseeing finances).
Once the church decides to pursue ordination for an elder, he must be examined by the board of elders.
Once the church decides to pursue ordination for an elder, he must be examined by the board of elders. If he passes this exam, he is ordained and automatically given all of the powers and privileges of a pastor. If he fails, then his case is referred back to the local church where they can determine whether or not they want him as their pastor (even if it means not being able to ordain him). Failing this test does not disqualify him from being re-examined in the future; however, failing two exams within a given time period may result in his application being denied permanently without a chance at reapplication
A pastor should be ordained only if he and his wife qualify according to the Bible.
- He must not be a drunkard.
- He must not be prone to violence.
- He should have a good relationship with his children and his wife.
- He must hold to the Christian faith, being faithful in this regard as well as in all others.
- In addition, he should be a man of good character and blameless (1 Timothy 3:2).
The qualifications of a minister are not as stringent as those of an elder, but they are still exacting.
The qualifications of a minister are not as stringent as those of an elder, but they are still exacting. A pastor must be faithful to his marriage vows and take care not to become entangled in sin or scandal. He must also lead his household well, setting an example for all other Christians by being temperate, self-controlled and upright in character.
Finally, he must not have children out of wedlock—a requirement that has been controversial at times because some pastors have been known to have illegitimate children with their mistresses before getting married themselves.
Without proper leadership structure and fully qualified ministers, it is impossible to pastor a church.
It is essential that a church have a pastor, or it cannot be properly led. The Bible says the church is the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27), and that Christ is its head. A pastor, then, must be ordained before he can pastor any other churches. He must meet all the qualifications listed in Timothy 1:5-16 and Titus 1:5-9 as well as being able to teach, preach and lead.
can a church grow without a pastor
IT IS GOD THAT HAS GIVEN THE COMMAND TO WIN SOULS, NOT MAN.
THE GOING IS NOT A CHURCH DOCTRINE, THE GOING IS NOT A NEW THING.
THE GOING IS AS COMMANDED IN SCRIPTURES.
WHEN YOU OBEY GOD’S COMMAND, YOU END UP AS COMMANDERS.
IN THIS SEASON, MANY MORE COMMANDERS WILL ARISE IN OUR MIDST.
THE MOTTO IN MY OUTREACH TEAM THIS YEAR IS W.I.F.E: WITNESS, INVITE, FOLLOW UP, ESTABLISHMENT
WE WERE INVOLVED IN THOSE FIRST TWO EARNESTLY BEFORE. WE DID A LITTLE BIT OF FOLLOW UP.
BUT NOW, IT HAS TO BE AT THE SAME LEVEL.
HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL JOIN IN THE W.I.F.E OPERATION?
-Pastor (Mrs) Faith Oyedepo at CHoP
Father, we thank You for these amazing testimonies this morning. You alone are the Doer, take all the praise. They are decreed and declared permanent, no reversal, in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank You this morning for answered prayers, both personal and corporate prayers, we give You all the glory. Right now, as we go into Your Word, speak to us again. Transform our lives again and let Your name be glorified, in Jesus mighty name.
All through this week, in our Covenant Hour of Prayer, our subject of consideration is captioned:
NO CHURCH GROWS WITHOUT A PEOPLE ON THE GO.
This morning, let’s first and foremost be reminded that we serve:
1. A God of addition
2. A God of multiplication
3. A God of glorification
God adds and multiplies His Church and He glorifies the individuals. Remember the testimonies we heard this morning; those are testimonies of glorification of people who were involved in Church addition and Church multiplication.
Remember the first testifier: business explosion.
Glorification: From shame to glory.
-This season someone else shall be glorified.
Today, we are looking at the fact that, very, very importantly, it is the will of God to see souls saved.
Say with me, “it is the will of God.”
1 Timothy 2:4 – Who will have all men to be saved. Yellow, green, black
All men, including everyone in your area; everyone in your neighbourhood; everyone from your village; everyone in your place of work. God wants all men to be saved. He wants souls to be saved, however we must understand that to see souls saved, we have to go preaching the gospel.
To see souls saved: it won’t happen on its own.
To see souls saved: it is not a magic.
To see souls saved: we must go preaching the gospel to the lost.
Say with me, “Go”; say it again, “Go.”
Say, “I will go.” Turn to your neighbour, say, “Go.” Say it again, “Go.”
Go preaching the gospel to the lost.
We must be on the Go. It’s only a Going Church that results in a Growing Church.
It takes a going Church to enjoy a growth. Only a going Church ends up being a growing Church.
Mark 16:15-16
That includes all, less nothing.
To how many creatures? Every creature; illiterate and literate;
Every creature: young and old
Every creature: male and female
It is time for us to make up our minds to keep going because Jesus has commanded us to do so.
-None of us will fail in this assignment in Jesus name.
It is God that has given the command, not man. So the going is not a Church doctrine, the going is not a new thing.
The going is as commanded in scriptures. When you obey God’s command, you end up as commanders.
-In this season, many more commanders will arise in our midst.
Romans 10:14-15
Now you know you have been sent
Say with me, “I am sent.” Say it again like you believe it, “I am sent.”
Every time we have the opportunity to go out, I tell people boldly and confidently, God has sent me here to you today.”
Why? Because we have been sent.
You too can always declare it boldly because we see it in scriptures, we have been sent.
Say with me, “I have been sent.”
And who sent you? God
Remember, when you go out on an errand, it is the person that sent you that you fear. You don’t fear the one you have been sent.
Why? You have the backing of your sender.
Every time you go out, or you have an opportunity to speak to someone about Jesus, always remember you have the backing of your Sender.
-As you go for every opportunity, your Sender will always back you up in Jesus name.
Next, we must understand that we cannot experience sustained supernatural Church growth without fervently engaging the altar of prayer and fasting as a Church.
As a Church, to experience and sustain supernatural Church growth requires fervent engagement on the altar of prayer and fasting.
It is one thing to experience Church growth, it is another thing entirely to sustain it.
Many, many people years past, generations ago had at one time or another experienced supernatural Church growth but not many are able to sustain it.
So to be able to experience and sustain supernatural Church growth, there must be fervent engagement on the altar of prayer and fasting.
In our situation and case by the grace of God, the experience of supernatural Church growth will never become history.
-It shall be sustained by the grace of God.
Say with me, “It shall be sustained.” Say it again, like you believe it, “it shall be sustained.”
What is Supernatural Church Growth? Growth beyond human comprehension. Beyond human understanding, beyond human principles, beyond human philosophy and explanation. Growth that is supernatural requires active and fervent engagement in prayers and fasting as a Church. No wonder, from the onset of this Commission, it has been a prayer and a fasting Commission.
From inception, before the Church ministry started, about 26 months of prayer and fasting, every blessed day for this Commission. After the takeoff, it continued and here we are today, every week, prayer and fasting, at least once a week.
We have the monthly Week of Spiritual Emphasis.
We have the yearly 21 Days of Prayers and Fasting that just concluded.
What a joy, today is another Wednesday, a day set aside as a Church for prayer and fasting. This is one of the major requirements for a Church to keep growing and we have a lot of time between now and evening. So even after we leave the Covenant Hour of Prayer today, make sure you set some time aside, engage fervently on the altar of prayer: 5 minutes here, 10 minutes here, 15 minutes there. Your break time, you go to the toilet, the rest room. Spend some time on your way to work, spend some time on your way back from work, spend some time praying for the growth and expansion of the Kingdom of God.
If you will do that, say, “I will”. Say it like you believe it.
-As you make your decision, the grace of God shall be sufficient for us in Jesus name.
So before we come for the Midweek Service tonight, you would have prayed up and the God of Heaven would have released answers in your direction and establish your personal glorification.
Say, “I receive it.”
Matthew 17:20-21
Jesus Christ makes it very clear, “howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” Engage fervently and the God of Heaven will establish your own glorification.
Finally in closing, it takes dedication to keep engaging without looking back. Remember, in your dedication lies your decoration.
-You shall be decorated.
Therefore, make up your mind and receive grace from God to be more dedicated than ever especially in this season of reaching out, going out, preaching the gospel.
church without leadership
Suppose your pastor resigned suddenly. If your church is like most churches, you would feel the vacuum in leadership. While having a full-time pastor is God’s idea, may I raise the question: Does a church have to suffer because there’s no pastor for a season? Can churches even prosper without permanent leadership at the helm?
We can look to the early church as an examples. It was led by ordinary men, some of whom had been fishermen. While some of the Bible’s greatest leaders, such as Moses and Paul, were highly educated, others were simple farmers. The bottom is a pastorless church can use the time of transition to help its members discover and develop the gifts they have for ministry. There is no need to wait on a pastor to continue to disciple believers. Often, we don’t recognize the possibilities that are in our midst. Here are several things deacons can do to encourage new leaders and guide their church in the absence of pastoral leadership.
Encourage all lay people to invest in the life of the church
Lay leaders can use this interim time to exercise gifts that might go unnoticed otherwise. We don’t want to communicate to the congregation that only a “select few” are qualified to “do church.” Every person has a personal experience with God to share. The point is this – we do not have to wait for church ministry expansion simply because we lack seasoned, trained pastoral leadership. An interim time can be a golden opportunity to let the church be the church.
When Simon Peter was in prison for a time, the church didn’t sit around doing nothing until he returned. They gathered for prayer about that situation. God heard the prayers of a serious group of lay people, worked in mysterious ways, and strengthened their faith. He is the same God today and desires to work through His people as they seek Him.
Provide ways for members to explore God’s calling and gifting
If we believe paid leadership should do all the work, we conveniently excuse ourselves from exercising the gifts God has given us to edify the church. We need to use the time when we have no permanent shepherd to explore the spiritual gifts and skills God has given each of us. “Every member a minister” is a great slogan for the church bulletin on a Sunday morning, but when it’s put into practice, it will rock the world!
Imagine the possibilities of finding new God-called and gifted leaders: children’s story tellers; childcare workers; Sunday School teachers for all ages; people to do maintenance, lawn care, and clean up after church meals. Others with the gift of compassion would be effective ministering to shut-ins. Interim leaders and pastors perform significant and needed roles. However, we should actively develop and discover lay gifts as God’s people come forward. This can happen as a result of leadership needs uncovered during the transition time.
We do not have to wait for church ministry expansion simply because we lack seasoned, trained pastoral leadership.
Spiritual gifts must be given opportunity to be tried and tested. God is always preparing people to step into positions of service. One thing is sure, God knows our future and is preparing us now for things that are in that future.
As a pastor, I recall fervently visiting one home to encourage a young lady to return to the church in which she grew up. She adamantly refused to have anything to do with church. My efforts seemed fruitless.
After I left and the church was without a pastor, the situation changed. This young lady stepped in and became who God gifted her to be. She now leads part of the children’s ministry in the church. God’s work in her heart and His gifting is bearing fruit.
Open the doors to service
Many people in the pews never serve simply because they have never been asked! What might happen if we simply ask those whom we think unlikely to serve and follow-up on their responses? Chances are we will be pleasantly surprised by those who would like to be involved. They were just never asked!
We need to intensify our ministry efforts when we are without a pastor by turning the transition into a time of renewal and discovery of congregational giftedness. God blesses us when we use the unique gifts He has given us. New people will step forward, and the church may move in a new direction simply because members were able to rediscover their gifts and motivated to new avenues of service.
A time without formal church leadership might be just the time for you to explore new areas of ministry that until now, you never knew was a possibility! When your pastor leaves, your congregation could be on the brink of a new and exciting phase of spiritual growth as members learn to exercise their giftedness in Christ.
We hope that this article has given you a better understanding of the role of a pastor in the church, and we look forward to seeing how you use that knowledge in your own ministry. We’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment and let us know what you think.