Comments on: why i believe in co-pastoring

By: kathyescobar

kathyescobar — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:01:57 +0000

hey lisa – sorry for never responding but thanks for your thoughts here. i am glad they resonate with you.

nathan - one of these days i hope we can talk more about what you guys have going up there; would love to learn from you.

joe - thanks for taking time to respond. we just see these scriptures and the spirit of them differently.

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 20:04:00 +0000

All,

I struggle with the thought of co-pastors, so I look to the scriptures. As there is no discussion of co-pastors in the bible, the requirements of Overseer is clearly a singular role. In 1 Timothy 3, the requirements for the overseer (Singular) and likewise the Deacons (Plural) is clearly defined. Until someone can clearly direct me to other scritpure that states otherwise I will hold to these truths.

By: Nathan Colquhoun

Nathan Colquhoun — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:18:16 +0000

We do co-pastoring at theStory in Sarnia, and it was the best choice we could have made in planting the church in basically affirming everything you said above.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:38:39 +0000

Hey Kathy,

Thanks for sharing more of your life and thoughts. I used to say that it was easier to get fired from my church than it was from my secular job (working for the state). At the time, I really liked that model. It gave me a good feeling that people were held accountable for their work. Now…I wonder what sort of scars that may have left on people who weren’t fitting into the church plan anymore or weren’t measuring up to the lead pastor’s standards.

The idea of co-pastoring fits in my life now. I have been wounded, I have been let go from a job when I couldn’t measure up (but neither could the person letting me go), I have put my faith in a person rather than a common goal we are all supposed to be sharing…just because that person was charismatic, spoke well, and made me laugh. It is making my life better that I have found this community.

By: Scott Bullock

Scott Bullock — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:05:14 +0000

Thanks Kathy.
- Blessings,
Scott

By: kathyescobar

kathyescobar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:30:48 +0000

hey scott, love the thoughts and good questions. it is so clear that there is not one way, one perfect answer, that is for sure. i do think that it’s a dilemma so many are tossing around. i do think there is a need for good leaders, pastors, people who will be catalysts for change and the truth is that is their contribution to the body of Christ, their giftedness. but i sometimes wonder how much more of the “church” could be unleashed without professional ministry? i am not sure, no clear answers, like the conversation though. thanks for stopping by. you are always welcome here!

By: Scott

Scott — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 18:38:51 +0000

Sorry for that long ramble! The other question I ask myself….Is it good stewardship for the church to use 60-70% of the churches tithe to pay for staff salaries? When, for example, Children’s Ministry gets 4% for curriculum……………(When the majority of people come to accept Christ between 6-17 yrs of age! )
-Scott

By: Scott

Scott — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 18:27:45 +0000

Thanks for Your Reply Cathy,
- Interesting feedback from Tracy.
….Was wondering about the passages of scripture where Paul is critical of the church (Corinth I think) because they should have been ready for spiritual meat, yet had to be “taught” again about the spiritual milk. …..Pastors need to teach the body how to grow in maturity. There are also numerous other imperatives to leaders, or teachers. I’m not sure removing them from the church equation helps us move closer to what we want.
…….At the same time I understand that pastors are just men, and it is dangerous when the “cult of personality” develops. Discernment usually stops when this occurs.
The challenge is “keeping the main thing” THE MAIN THING. Right? Not a pet program , that is seeker sensitive, with 40 days of community focus, with abundant living dynamics ministry and NOOMA videos forthcoming…….(all good things) …..but keep the focus on the main thing. – Christ. …Funny how this becomes a struggle…….My wife was on a medical missions team. They attended a impoverished villages Sunday service. The church was a clearing the villages had , with the trees painted white half way up the trunks. They had stones to sit on , and took their shoes off before the clearing because it was Holy ground. They were coming into close contact with God. They praise God for 3 hours and talk about what God has done in their lives that week. Some people their have a 2 hr. walk to attend. …My personal thought is that it is our Western culture that is dulling our spiritual growth more than any structural- pastoral- church issues. …We are slaves of what we want rather than bond-servants of Christ.
Thanks for letting me share,
Blessings,
Scott

By: kathyescobar

kathyescobar — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 04:37:43 +0000

hey tracy, okay i just had a chance to read this article and just emailed it to the refuge team, too. thanks so much for sending it, it is amazing food for thought and i have to say, it is bizarro timing for a variety of reasons, several of these things, including the pastor part, have been huge conversations we’ve been having right now. i am not sure that the body can be completely unleashed when there’s still a “looking to” one person or two people or a small team of people to make things happen. it is a very tricky dance and i would say these waters we are navigating are really really scary and foreign. i am going to email you so we can talk some more about this! thanks so much for the link. really great pot-stirring that will linger.

By: Tracy Simmons

Tracy Simmons — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:24:56 +0000

I’m curious if any of you guys have read Frank Viola’s article, “Will the Emerging Church Fully Emerge?” You can read it entirely here:
http://ptmin.org/fullyemerge.htm

I cannot stop thinking about it, wondering about one part in particular. Wondering if he’s correct. He didn’t write this as a polemic, so I’m trying to wrap by head around all he believes. I’ve read his books. Some parts I liked, some parts I didn’t. Anyway, the part that I cannot stop thinking about is below. Do you think he may be right? That it’s mission impossible? I’d just love to hear your thoughts, Kathy and others, if you have any on this. Scott’s comment, above, is what got me mulling this over fresh and anew today! When he said “Some work very well” my head got put back in this particular line of thinking about it! If this is too long, delete it with no hard feelings on my end!

“Please note that my critique is not an attack on pastors as people. Most pastors in the emerging church are gifted Christians who have a heart for the Lord and a genuine love for His people. It is the modern pastoral office and role that I believe is profoundly flawed, and few of us have ever questioned it.

Let me unpack that a bit. My experience in this country and overseas over the last seventeen years has yielded one immovable conclusion: Gods people can engage in high-talk about community life, Body functioning, and Body life, but unless the modern pastoral role is utterly abandoned in a given church, Gods people will never be unleashed to function in freedom under the Headship of Jesus Christ. I have had pastors vow to me that they were the exception. However, upon visiting their congregations, it was evident that the people did not know the first thing about functioning as a Body on their own. Neither were they given any practical tools on knowing the Lord intimately and living by His life. The reason is that the flaws of the modern pastoral role are actually built into the role itself.”