The Pastor & The Board
Discipleship is the mandate of the Great Commission. Where could a pastor more wisely begin to disciple than with his church board?
Richard C. Halverson
January 1, 1980
"Go" is not the mandate in the Great Comission. Nevertheless, this word has been emphasized so much that it has overshadowed what happens when one gets there. It has become a status symbol among evangelicals while the central words in the Great Commission have been neglected.
"Make disciples" is the mandate. Jesus is the model for such a ministry. In three years he started a movement that would reach the whole world and last forever. To accomplish his task he began by training leaders. Mark records, "He appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach" (Mark 3:14, NASB).
Three years of an intimate, almost unbroken relationship with Jesus prepared these twelve men to be the nucleus of the movement that subsequently turned the world upside down. Their influence continues to this day, nearly 2,000 years later, to nurture the Church Christ is building. Their writings remain the authoritative source for doctrine for the Church; their fellowship the model for Christian unity.
Whether a pastor is starting a new church or beginning his ministry in an established one, he will find this fundamental strategy of Jesus to be the key for a strong, healthy church with an effective outreach.
The natural group with which to conduct such a ministry is the church board. Where else could a pastor more wisely begin to disciple? The method is the simple way of Jesus with the twelve. He ordained them to be with him; he explained everything to them; and he made them his friends, sharing with them all that he heard from his Father. Proximity, explaining, and sharing were the basic elements in Jesus' training. Teaching was as much by example as by precept, and common life situations were the classroom. Any pastor ...
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