Top Five Task for Pastors

            When one hears the question, “What are the top five tasks of a pastor?” they may think to themselves that is an easy question to answer. Let’s really think about that for a minute, it is not asking what five things keep a pastor busy; but what are the five most important tasks of a pastor?  In order for any man to be a pastor, he must first and foremost have saving knowledge of who our Lord Jesus Christ is; not only that, but there should be some maturity in his walk. Paul tells Timothy regarding men who would be overseers or pastors that, “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.” (1 Timothy 3:6 ESV)

            As pastors we should also follow the pattern laid out for us by the men of Acts 6. While it is a noble task to serve others they knew theirs to be a higher calling. “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:4 ESV) As ministers of the Word, we must be spending time in personal study and prayer. If Christ is our model and went off to be alone and pray, are we any better than he? No, He also studied the Scriptures which is what we must do in order to be effective ministers of the word. In 2 Timothy 4, Paul tell Timothy preach the word and to be ready in season and out of season. How can Timothy keep this charge if he is not spending his time in the word and prayer? In order to be an effective pastor you also have to be an effective teacher. If you lack the ability to teach, then your calling in life may not be that of a pastor. Our teaching must not be of any thing we wish it to be, it must be sound doctrine (Titus 1:9).

            It seems to me that another important task of a pastor is to be recognizing potential leaders for the church and training them as such. As a pastor we should be able to recognize the qualities in a man that would make him eligible for the position. Paul instructs Timothy on this very issue when he says, “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2 ESV) In doing this we will continue to ensure that the sound doctrine Paul spoke to Titus about is being passed on in proper manner.

            Last and far be it from least, we should all love. It is the greatest symbol of a Christian and while pastors are not super Christians we are often examined more closely than the normal believer. We know that we are to love God, our neighbors as ourselves, and one another as Christ loved us. We love because He first loved us and gave himself us for us. (Rom 5:8) If we lack the ability to love then we cannot bring people to Christ which is what the greatest goal of any pastor should be, to see souls saved