I have come to discover 12 kinds of Pastors that are visible
in the Church today. *Though not all,* but these twelve represent majority of
Pastors leading Churches today. I hope you can find *who you are* among these
twelve descriptions.
1. BUSINESSMEN PASTORS(1 Timothy 6:35; Isaiah 56:10,11;
2:14).
*Description:* They are businessmen and women who see the
ministry as *avenue to make money.* They function as the Chief Executive
Officers of their Churches. The Church is run with business principles. Their
major emphasis is *money, finance, prosperity and how to make it.* They are in
absolute control of everything.
*Basic Motive:* Gain and profit. Their programmes are
targeted at *how much money is realized.* They are using God’s name, the Church
and the Bible to make money and enrich themselves.
*Demerits:* No heaven-mindedness, disciples and godliness.
*They breed Christians who are greedy of gain, profit-oriented, thieves and
crooks. They engage in lying, fantastic promises and spurious prophesies.* They
apportion *Church position* to the highest bidder.
*Way Out:* True repentance, freedom from financial lucre and
restoration of balanced truth to the church. Business Pastors have brought
*much bad image* to the Church.
2. FUNKY PASTOR(2
Timothy 4:3, 4; Jeremiah 6:13)
*Description:* Worldly, carnal, ungodly Pastors *who watered
down the gospel to please people.* They dress anyhow and they allow anything in
the Church. They are immoral and sex-maniac who take advantage of people. Their
messages are the *Church liberty, ministry on the broadways, easy way to
heaven* and making you somebody in life.
*Basic Motives:* Keep the people happy. Don’t offend them by
telling them the truth. They exert influence and power over people *in order to
get their money.* Youth and young people enjoy these kinds of Pastors.
*Demerits:* No mention of sin, evil, hell or righteousness.
*Their focus is miracle, blessing and breakthroughs.* Secular talk shows are
allowed. Immorality, extra-marital affairs and pre-marital sex are overlooked
all in the belief that God is a loving God. Funky pastors have brought much
shame to the Pastoral ministry and their name.
*Way Out:* Genuine repentance and restitution, or else…
3. VOCATIONAL PASTORS(Ezekiel
34:2, 3)
*Description:* They are in the ministry, *not as a result of
God’s call, but by the call of men.* They see pastoring as a hobby. They love
the honour and respect being given to Pastors. *Tribal sentiments, ethnic bias,
connection to authority, wealth, status and oratory power* are what was used to
make them Pastors. Educational qualifications and greasing of palms also figure
here.
*Basic Motive:* To rule over others and to be seen and
respected by them. No vision, purpose and commission from the Lord. They
therefore lord themselves over the people, *using threats and position to
oppress those who are genuinely called.*
*Demerits:* They are not concerned with anyone or the Church
once their position is secured. They lead Church backward through *secular
management systems.* They don’t train, develop or empower anyone. The Church is
always malnourished and spiritually weak under such Pastors. Their
ministrations are always devoid of God’s power and their sermons always make
people sick. *Vocational or honorary Pastors have caused much havoc for the
Church today.*
*Way Out:* Seek the face of God as to His plan for your
life, resignation and functioning where God wants you.
4. YESTERDAY’S
PASTORS*
*Description:* They are called by the Lord, but *they are
not in tune with the moves of God today.* They are holy, godly and righteous
but they are trapped in *yesterday’s ways* because they are ultra-conservative.
Old tradition, dogma and doctrinal correctness is their forte. They spend only
on their *one gift* to lead the Church, they detest learning and change.
*Basic Motive:* To survive and bring back old time religion.
They are therefore prejudiced against growth, change and new strategies. They
are good in hymnals, bell-ringing and order of service that has become routine and
lifeless today. Their relational skills are weak and very low.
*Demerits:* Lack of vision, purpose and direction in the
Church. The work is backward; they are confused because changes that have
occurred have left them behind. They therefore experience crisis, breakaway,
stagnation and backdoor losses.They do everything in the Church because they
don’t trust anybody. They are skeptic of people and change. Pastors of
yesterday usually don’t know the new moves of God for today; because they are
too busy looking at yesterday.
*Way Out:* Change, personal growth, disabused mindset and
new focus of the move of God today.
5. POLITICAL PASTORS
(Jeremiah 10:21; Jeremiah 23:11; Micah 3:11)
*Description:* They were once Servants of the Lord, but are
now backslidded. *They no longer have time to preach, pray, nourish people and
prepare them for heaven.* All their time is taken up with meetings upon
meetings. They have become servants of the people. Bad friends, economic
hardship and strange teachings have changed them.
*Basic Motive:* To make it, *either by force or by fire.*
They therefore engage in Church politics. They become cunning, crafty,
arm-twisting and they can speak from both sides of the mouth. Their strategic
closeness to Church authority make them to determine the transfer, promotion,
discipline and suspension of other Pastors that are many times better than
them. Character assassination is their modus–operandi.
*Demerits:* Their Churches always suffer because they are
not always around due to frequent meetings. *They are spiritually dry, unable
to get fresh insight from God* and the Church suffers spiritually. They get
involve in scandals which they use for their *political manouvering* to cover
up. Political Pastors needs to return back to the Lord, or else…
*Way Out:* Remember where you have fallen, repent and return
back to the Lord. Stop Church politics and concentrate on the primary job of
pastoring, leading, nourishing andpreparing people for heaven.
6. OCCULTIC PASTORS(Revelation
2:20,24: Revelation 3:9)
*Description:* These are the people who have no business
being in the ministry, but they are there all the same. *Some are former occult
practitioners* who claim to be born-again, while *others are herbalists and
magicians* who decide to hood-wink people by modernizing as Pastors. They live
double lives. They appear to eat at the Lord’s table but also deal with the
devil in secret. They use means and demonic power to perform spurious miracles.
*Basic Motives:* Their motive is gain, power and control
over people. They therefore use candles, coconut, incense, salt, kolanut,
sponge, soaps, special baths and native roots as “prayer support.” They engage
in fake vision, false prophecy and spurious miracles. They read the sixth and
seventh books of Moses. They are usually polygamous and womanizers.
*Demerits:* Using other means to ‘Jazz’ up the work so that
crowds can come; people under bondage and oppression; making people sure
children of hell; immorality thrives; witchcraft and calamities in Churches; people
dying and losing their destiny in such Churches. Oppressive air of bondage will
be thick. No form of godly spirituality among the people. *Occultic Pastors
will always be exposed by their traits and they will lose their ministries
sooner or later.*
*Way Out:* True repentance and knowing the Lord afresh,
turning away from synagogue of Satan.
7. SHALLOW PASTORS
(Zephaniah 3:4)
*Description:* These are proud, garrulous, self-centered and
self-willed Pastors. They are islands; too busy to attend conferences or
seminars or listen to anybody’s tape. They believe that everyone should learn
from them but they cannot learn from others. Their anointing has grown to the
extent that they don’t need to read the Bible everyday, have time of prayer and
fast unto the Lord.
*Basic Motives:* Their motive is to succeed in ministry
financially, materially and socially. They therefore spend Church money to buy
*expensive shoes, clothing, cars and properties.* They have nothing to really
give to people spiritually. *They thrive on stories, noise, demonstrations,
pushing people and mimicked styles and prophecies.* Their sermon dwell on their
worth, wealth and fame.
*Demerits:* People are fed half truths, lies, motivational
talks. They are always on the move, have nothing really to share and give to
the people. The people are therefore largely unsaved, canal, sinful, ungodly
and religious. They therefore move away to where the grass is green and the
water is still. Shallow Pastors will always lose serious Christians to other Churches.
*Way Out:* Return to the Lord, load yourself and prepare to
feed people with balanced diet of the Word.
8. MINISTRY PASTORS
*Description:* These are ministry-focused Pastors. *They are
committed to and consumed by the work of the ministry.* In their order of
priorities, ministry is number one and everything else takes secondary
position. *These Pastors neglect their families, children and personal lives*
in the name of doing ministry. Their children are wayward, bitter, uncatered
for, angry and unconverted. Their wives are miserable, frustrated, neglected;
feel cheated and lonely.
*Basic Motives:* To fulfill their ministry irrespective of
anything or anybody. Their desire is to prove themselves and the readiness to
neglect everything for the ministry. *They move from crusade to revivals, from
prayer mountains to special seminars.* They are too spiritual to play, pray,
enjoy and relax with their wives, children and family, because sinners are
perishing. They are always in a hurry.
*Demerits:* They experience divorce, have wayward children,
unsettled homes and unfulfilled ministry. Their wives become demonized or
engage in extra–marital affairs due to frequent absence and lack of care.
*Pastors that give ministry the number one priority above their God, home and
personal development will always experience crisis, breakaway and being
forsaken by the Lord.* Lack of peace, progress and tranquility, both in the
Church and personal lives will always be the outcome of the mistake of putting
ministry before God and your family. Ministry Pastors will always experience
burn out and frustration in ministry.
*Way Out:* Return back to the Lord. Make your God and family
as number one and two, and ministry as number three.
9. SICK PASTORS
(Revelation 3:14-19)
*Description:* physically okay but *spiritually sick.* Sick
because they don’t know the Lord, they are sinful, ungodly, evil, immoral and
wicked. Though they sometimes find themselves leading large congregations, yet,
they preach the Jesus they have not met. They only use their spiritual
activities to cover their spiritual nakedness.
*Basic Motives:* They don’t know why they are in the
ministry. They want to be like the Jones and Joneses. They are copycats. They
struggle with sin, evil and low self-image. They take out their anger, sin and
frustration on the people. *They are sick because they lack basic leadership
skill.* They are sick because they are not good examples and role model to
follow. They are sick because they operate under curse and disobedience.
*Demerits:* Destroyed lives of people under them; carnal,
covetous, stinginess, unforgiving spirit, and readiness to curse and destroy
people who dare question their ungodly activities. They usually kill Churches
and cause stagnation by making the saints to sin and backslide. Sick Pastors
will always produce sick Churches that will find growth very difficult and
stagnation very easy.
*Way Out:* Repent, seek the Lord, apologize and do a new
work.
10. WOUNDED PASTORS
*Description:* They have experienced back-stabbing,
disappointment and calamities in ministry. Their work has dealt them a hard
blow. Through some mistakes and ignorance, they have been wounded in ministry.
They are therefore bitter, sad, hurting and hateful in the ministry.
*Basic Motive:* Vengeance, retribution and survival. They
have been wounded by sin, devil, people, partners, colleagues and members. Some
have lost wives, husbands, children, names, properties and health in the course
of doing ministry. Some have deep pain due to betrayal by mentors, leaders,
associates and spouses. And the wound is fresh and new.
*Demerits:* Bleeding hearts, hurtful feelings, lack of
trust, discouragements, frustration and quitting the ministry. They don’t help
anybody in the ministry again and they are always skeptical of people’s
intentions. The unforgiveness in their hearts hinder the flow of God’s spirit
in them. As long as you don’t allow the Lord to heal you, your Church will
always suffer the hangover of your wounded heart.
*Way Out:* Release the past; handover your hurts unto the
Lord and march on in faith. Forgive and forbear.
11. TECHNOLOGY
PASTORS
*Description:* They are Pastors on the move, who are always
on the fast lane of life. Moving from city to city, nation to nation, making
money at the expense of the souls under them. They spend weeks away from the
Church. They junket from place to place in the name of doing ministry while the
Church at home is dying and scattering. They monitor by means of audio and
video messages of sermons.
*Basic Motive:* Money, pleasure and properties. They use God
to better their lot in life. Their living standard is above the income of their
Church. They always travel for ministration and business deals. While
traveling, they continue to monitor the Church through phone, emails, websites,
phone-in-conference. They use these technologies to conduct services on Sunday
and at vigils. In some cases, they stay permanently abroad and control the
Church from there.
*Demerits:* Their associates are not trusted; they are given
responsibilities without authority. The Church goes through turmoil, murmuring
and lack of care, nurture and empowering. Such Pastors lose their Churches,
their people and they eventually capitulate to the God of mammon, pleasure and
fame. They lose their God and their ministry. *God usually replace them with
capable people* who have a heart for things of eternal value.
*Way Out:* Genuine repentance, restoration and rediscovering
the basic purpose of ministry.
12. GROWING PASTORS*
*Description:* Very few, but these are Pastors after God’s
heart. They are called and commissioned by the Lord. They pursue a god-given
vision.They display high integrity, character, godliness and a heart for things
of eternal value. They are not perfect, but growing everyday. They are
balanced, learning, open to change and full of the Holy Spirit.
*Basic Motive:* They desire to make impact for God. They
want to see lives, families, nations and cities transformed for the Lord. They
have no personal empire to build; rather they want to extend the frontiers of
God’s kingdom throughout the whole world. They see ministry as opportunity to
serve, help and empower others. They de-emphasize money, gain and pleasure.
*Strengths:* They invest in people; sharpen their leadership
skills; maintain good relational skills; work over their weaknesses, build
godly character; empower, equip and enable others to rise up to their highest
potentials. They are not threatened by the gift of others. They speak the truth
with grace and seek to disciple everyone for the Lord. They ensure that the
Church is built on the truth, undiluted and balanced Word of God. They Pastor
growing Churches where the people are genuine Christians that continually grow
in the things of the Lord. They raise leaders and equip them to carry on the
work of God.
*Results:* Good, great and growing Churches that will go on
to affect things positively for God.
CONCLUSION
From these descriptions of twelve kinds of pastors, you can
see that *only one* can really lead the Church to true and sustainable growth.
This is the reason why majority of our Churches are sick, stagnant,
crisis–ridden and are dying today because they are being pastored by the wrong
kind of pastors.
*Where are you? You can repent and change today to be a
growing Pastor in all ramifications so as to lead the Church into the future.
May we not labour in vain. In Jesus Name. Happy weekend
brethren.
Written by Edwin king
