STEPS IN SETTING MY AGENDA
C.B. Hogue
April 1, 1991
A few weeks after my second pastorate began, the deacon chairman said to me, "Now, son, you just preach, visit the sick, and care for the old folks. The board will set the agenda for everything else." Situations like this weren't covered in seminary. So I began pondering my role in that church. I quickly realized that a number of questions needed to be answered: Who sets the pastor's agenda? The board? The congregation? The pastor alone? Do I look exclusively at my gifts and calling, or do I yield to others who want to give direction? Who really is responsible for my ministry activities? Eventually, I found that by following these steps, many of those questions were answered. Â Start with the givens. Every pastor quickly learns the "givens"-duties that go with the territory: visiting the sick, conducting weddings and funerals, counseling, preparing and delivering sermons. This is a large part of what any church board expects. As pastor, I must squeeze these essential jobs into my schedule. Â Know your calling. During a stormy committee meeting in a church I served, a member asked, "Pastor, do you know who you are? If you would assume more spiritual authority, we could get on with this matter." How do I view myself? As a spiritual leader, am I a permissive facilitator or an autocrat? Where I fall on the spectrum depends on my personality and gifts. But still I want to pattern myself after Christ. He knew what he was on Earth to do, and then set about doing it. Though he faced opposition, it did not deter him from his purpose. He remained faithful to his mission. I must remember a call is not just a job. I am an instrument to do God's work. He is the active agent, working in and through me. Obstacles will arise but can never cancel ...
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