I wrote recently on the Superstar Preacher, and there's no doubt that the superstar syndrome is a major problem among us. Some of it is not the preacher's fault. Some of the blame lies at the front door of the church. Note a classified ad [which I hate for pastors anyway] for a pastor I saw recently in a state Baptist paper.
SENIOR PASTOR: Seeking a senior pastor that believes in the inerrancy of the Bible and has proven skills in preaching, teaching, visitation, counseling, visioning, soul-winning, discipleship and administration. We are a conservative and progressive church with a bright future for ministry and growth in a rapidly growing community just outside of Charlotte, NC. We have six ministers and numerous outreach programs and specialized ministries, including a large Deaf ministry.
What is this church thinking? How can a man be skillful in all the above areas?
Years ago Darrell Robinson wrote about "The Ideal Pastor":
He preaches only 20 minutes, but thoroughly expounds the Word.
He condemns sin, but never hurts anyone's feelings.
He works from 8 AM to 10 PM, doing every type of work from preaching to janitor work.
He makes $100 per week, wears good clothes, buys good books, drives a nice car, and gives
$50 to the church weekly.
He stands ready to give to any good cause, also.
His family is completely model in deportment, dress, and attitude.
He is 26 years old and has been preaching for 30 years.
He has a burning desire to work with teenagers and spend all his time with older people.
He makes 15 calls a day on church members, spends all his time in evangelizing, and is never
out of the office.
This is ridiculous, of course, but the above classified shows clearly that too many churches are looking for men who can't possibility live up to the expectations placed upon them. God save us from churches looking for superstar preachers!
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