No one going to seminary admits that they want to be the next big pastor. Perhaps not everyone wants to experience the same kind of platform that many of our preaching heroes stood upon, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say that most seminarians (if not all) go into ministry hoping to have some kind of impact. It’s not a bad thing to want. After all, many of us go into ministry because we were positively impacted by the ministry of someone else.
We live in a world where production defines efficacy. Musicians are judged according to their streams. Authors are judged by how many times they’ve appeared on the NYT best seller list. Our world is enamored by production and spectacle. The past few years have been an interesting time for the evangelical world, particularly because we are witnessing a changing of the guard. We’ve witnessed beloved and well-known pastors pass away. We’ve seen respected ministers fall into disgrace. The platform that had been holding up the stalwarts of 21st century Evangelical Christianity seems to be giving way to a world of Christianity that we’re largely unfamiliar with. The question that I hear in response is, “who’s next”?
Who will carry the torch? Who will carry on the legacy? Who will defend the faith in front of the masses? Who can people look up to and learn from?
But what if God has different plans? Through my years in ministry, I have had the immense privilege of meeting many different pastors. I’ve attended conferences where I was able to sit under the teaching of some of my favorite preachers. Yet the people that re-lit the flame in my heart and brought me to conviction and tears, were not the ones I saw preaching in front of a sold out venue. It was the pastors who were faithfully serving in their ministries, in their own ways, unseen by the public.
By certain metrics, these pastors could be considered busts. Their churches didn’t have new initiatives or exciting new ministries. Their websites were either non-existent or outdated. Yet, week in and week out, they faithfully preached the gospel, prayed for and ministered to their flock. And albeit “unspectacular”, their ministries yielded beautiful fruit for the kingdom of God.
I remember during a particularly challenging time in my own personal life and ministry, I was going through a plethora of sermons, articles, and books, hoping to find a balm for my weary soul. But in that moment, the eloquent words of my theological and ministerial heroes offered little remedy. In truth, I don’t remember at all what I read or listened to. But I do remember the words of one of my mentors. His words, though not particularly profound, were simple and timeless Gospel truths. What gave his simple words so much impact was his faithful presence in my life. It was as if all of the time we spent talking over meals and in the car had compounded and pressurized those simple words into pure diamonds.
Ministry is often inconspicuous. It’s done in the hospital room of an ailing congregant. It’s done in the midst of an intimate funeral. It’s done in small backyard weddings, and all of the precious pre-marital counseling sessions leading up to it. It’s done in the late hours of the night, when someone texts you asking for prayer. It can even be done on Mondays, when someone new to church doesn’t quite know the rhythms of rest. The lack of a platform and widespread influence doesn’t equate a lack in efficacy. My hope and prayer is that pastors across the globe, regardless of their ministerial contexts, would know that the Lord is pleased with their faithfulness.
That’s not to say that we shouldn’t look to expand our influence for God’s kingdom. Think of the Apostle Paul who traveled from city to city, and nation to nation so that he may grow in influence for the advancement of the Gospel. Even Jesus Himself commissions His disciples to expand their influence to the ends of the earth. The point is, we always want the Gospel to gain ground in our world, and hopefully, through us.
But our understanding of influence may be very different from God’s. Sometimes, God will call individuals to exercise their gifts through podcasts, conferences, and books. But perhaps what God desires for His servants to have isn’t a mass following, but rather a faithful presence. If you are a gifted preacher, maybe the room of thousands can wait for the hungry congregants who will fill your pews this Sunday. If you are a gifted writer, maybe trying to get the jump on a book deal comes second to writing a well thought out email (or card) to a member who is going through a hard time. If you are an excellent conversationist, the podcast opportunity will be there down the road (and I hope you capitalize on it when you can), but the congregant battling depression desperately needs to hear a kind and caring voice. Every small and mundane act of ministry is an expansion of Godly influence. It’s not fancy, it’s not spectacular, but it is beautiful. And most importantly, these moments will be the moments that change people’s lives.
Dear pastors, ministry doesn’t have to be a spectacle. God has and will do powerful things through simple ministry and through His humble servants. If you are a disheartened pastor today, know this; God sees all that you do for your ministry. And you know what? Your people will too.
Header Photo Credit: Alexey Demidov