Pastoral Ministry in the Next 20 Years

Bob Roberts writes WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO PASTOR IN AMERICA THE NEXT 20 YEARS:

The next 20 years are going to be some of the most exciting, tumultuous, confusing, difficult, historical, adventurous, pioneering, years ever in the history of the church to pastor a church …

It will take the same things it’s always taken to pastor a church: prayer, spiritual disciplines, the knowledge of your community and the people in the church, study, a knowledge of the Word of God and the ability to teach it, the ability to inspire and lead, all of that – but there will be some additional things in a way unlike any other time in history.

#1 The ability to learn from the Global church.  We are not growing, as much as I would like to say there are – I know of no church planting movements in the US – we will have to learn from them.  In addition, they are going to see things from their perspective in the Scriptures that as Westerners we haven’t seen – we must be ready to learn.

#2 The ability to adapt to a global context.  It will become more and more impossible to “do church” in your community.  We’re just too connected.  What happens in one part of the world affects every part of the world.

#3 The ability to work across “party” lines.  No longer will we work in isolation from other tribes, denominations, nations, or even religions for that matter – there will be some things that will be necessary that all of us learn to respect one another and get along.  For believers, Jesus makes it clear that “they will know we are his by our love for each other” and we have been called to Unity – how in God’s name that will happen will be the greatest supernatural miracle since the resurrection.

#4 The ability to bring value to the community beyond Sunday church.  We call it missional – they call it civic or civil society.  The church of necessity will be engaged with domains of society because that is the infra-structure of the world.

#5 The ability to take complex issues theologically and make them simple and applicable for everyday followers of Jesus.  Jesus told stories, Paul wrote theologies, we write sermons with texts and points – I wonder what sermons will come to look like?

#6 The ability to embrace the Holy Spirit – all of us.  Not so much for the supernatural but for everyday guidance for a thousand ethical questions people are going have driven by science and money – as well as recognizing divine moments.
The mass marketing of the Gospel isn’t over, but it’s going to be people driven more than market driven.

#7 The ability to celebrate disciples and the whole church and allow them deeply into ministry instead of a “preacher driven” ministry.

#8 The ability to not just tolerate but enjoy diversity in every form – cultures, peoples, expressions of faith – there will be no one box – only one Lord and Savior.