MAINSTREAM MESSENGER

Vol. 4, No. 2     June 2001    Editor:  Bruce Prescott

Pastoral Servanthood

By Dr. Bruce Prescott

It is ironic that Alan Day’s April 5th article on “The Pastor’s Authority” in the Baptist Messenger was published shortly after news reports indicated that SBC had broken off interfaith discussions with the Roman Catholic Church. His understanding of pastoral authority is much more in line with Catholicism than it is with Baptist thought.

Quoting Hebrews 13:17, Day identifies pastors as “them that have rule over you,” advises pastors to teach this “without apology or fear of being called a ’dictator,’” and warns laymen that abuse of pastoral authority “does not justify” any failure to “properly respect and follow their pastors.”

The Pope could not have said it better.

If Dr. Day’s view is correct, the SBC’s refusal to reunite with and submit to the authority Rome has no justification. The Baptist tradition began when lay people refused to follow their pastors.

Baptists view their pastors more as “servants” than as “rulers.” We do so for at least two reasons. First, we believe Jesus was serious when he said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.” (Matt. 20:25-27)

The second reason is that we view every believer as a priest to others. Each believer must give an account to God for the care they give and the watch they keep over the souls of others. When Jesus described God’s judgment the “goats” were those who expected someone else to do the work of ministry. The “sheep” were all faithful ministers. They fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, clothed the naked, showed hospitality to strangers, and visited the sick and imprisoned. (Matt. 25:31-46; cf. Hebrews 10:19-25) Dr. Day is wrong to say, “No layman will face this kind of accountability.”

Dr. Day is also wrong to think that God expects laymen to blindly follow dictatorial, abusive pastors. Scripture clearly advises against it, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 Jn 4:1)

Baptists should be testing their pastors to see if they are more concerned with asserting authority than with exercising servanthood.

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