A Shepherd’S Responsibilities in Pastoral Ministry

By Marjorie Herschler

This book is written from a theological perspective. It explains certain concepts of what is expected of a pastor in pastoral ministry. The pages of this book contain the definition of a pastor in details. This book also highlights if a pastor is called divinely by God or if he is self appointed. It also asks the question, Can anyone be or become a pastor? Which it then answers.

A Shepherds Responsibilities in Pastoral Ministry lists in details the distinguishing qualification and characteristics of a pastor or a man or woman of God, which includes being able to display spiritual maturity, having good financial uprightness, and having the much-needed gift of the Holy Spirit to activate the spirit of discernment. The overall representation is that they must be a good ambassador in displaying the Lord who had called them to lead His people.

This book also informs us of certain personal and spiritual objectives of the leader/pastor, such as he or she must be devoted to their immediate family, exercise self-control, have an active prayer life, and have the ability to be gentle and humble in spirit. Not only are the pastors responsible to personally maintain their behaviors, they are called to show forth their spiritual responsibilities as well.

These pages give examples of the pastors function in ministering the word of God by teaching, preaching, and offering sacraments (e.g., marriage). The climax points to the good shepherd that is Jesus Christ, the One who implemented the Christian church, which is still standing and making her mark in todays society.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 6, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543456448

Marjorie Herschler

Marjorie Louisa Herschler, Caribbean born in the beautiful Islands of Trinidad & Tobago. She is the third child divinely born to Lennox and Wilma Springer, who at present reside at her birth place along with her other remaining three siblings. Marjorie is a proud mother of three wonderful children whom she loves and at this present time are all adults. Marjorie has been married for a period of approximately eleven years five months and two days at the time of this writing. She is a mother, a wife, a sister and a friend to many. This amazing young lady has single handedly started her construction company, which is successfully flourishing, with a declared Motto “You Dream It We Build It”. This company has been in operation since June of 2006. This energetic, strong , vibrant individual doesn’t give up no matter what may comes in her direction, she is persistent, purpose driven, honest, fair , kind hearted , full of love and laughter. She is a team player, who is fond of listen to all types of music. Delights in Caribbean food, has impressive cooking skills and she is a dancer who enjoy making friends. Marjorie accepted the LORD in her late twenties and has faithfully and willing given herself to His service, this author is heart, soul, mind, body and spirit in everything that she does. With a strong belief that “GOD IS NEVER WRONG AND THAT HE CAN USE WHOEVER HE PLEASES” You just have to be available.

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Copyright © 2017 by Marjorie Herschler.

Library of Congress Control Number:     2017915267

ISBN:                    Hardcover                  978-1-5434-5642-4

                              Softcover                     978-1-5434-5643-1

                              eBook                          978-1-5434-5644-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 09/30/2017

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgment

Introduction

Chapter I   The Definition of a Pastor

A. What Is a Pastor?

B. Are Pastors Called by God?

C. Can Anyone Be or Become a Pastor?

Chapter II   Distinguishing Characteristics   or Qualifications of a Pastor

A. Have the Spirit of Discernment

B. Be an Example to His Congregation and a People Person

C. Be Spiritually Mature / Godly

D. Have Financial Uprightness

E. Be a Good Representative of the Lord

Chapter III   Personal Objectives of a Pastor

A. Be Devoted to His Family

B. Be Humble and Gentle

C. Be Sober Minded

D. Exercise Self-Control

E. Have a Prayer Life

Chapter IV   Spiritual Responsibilities and Duties of a Pastor

A. Ministering the Word through Preaching and Teaching

B. Administration and Organization of Leaders

C. Supervising the Worship

D. Congregation Care and Pastoral Counseling

Chapter V   Administering Sacrament

A. Baptism

B. Confirmation

C. The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist

D. The Sacrament of Confession

E. The Sacrament of Anointing the Sick

F. The Sacrament of Holy Order

G. The Sacrament of Marriage

Chapter VI   Christ Pastoral Ministry

A. Christ as the Good Shepherd

B. Timothy in the Pastoral Epistles

C. Good Example of a Bad Shepherd

Epilogue

Bibliography

This book is dedicated to the following:

My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

For without you and your divine wisdom, counsel, motivation, and love, this book would not have been possible. I really love you, Father, and thank you for being ruler over my life.

To the late Millicent Roy

To the first person who ever took interest in me on a spiritual level. As a child I remembered, as a rule, she would take me and my two younger brothers to church on Sundays, despite what my dad would say. Thank you, Grandma.

To the blessed fruits of my womb, my children

Kieran Kelvin Parke Jr., Latoya C. David, and Tenesha O. David.

Thank you all for giving me the encouragement and for always believing in me. I am so blessed to have all of you at my side; it is my prayer that you will be individually inspirited as you take time to go through the pages of this book.

To my husband

William C. Herschler—thank you for giving me the time that I needed to begin and complete this assignment.

He said unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

—John 21:17

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

L ife experiences have taught me a few things well, and one of these experiences is that you should always apply common courtesy, especially if moral values have been instilled in your life. It should always be in your best interest to give credit when it is deserved and to whom it is due. Using the word thanks or to simply say I appreciate you may not come easy for some, but just a gentle reminder, these are the best words of expression that a person can hear, especially if they are spending a period of time working toward helping you to fulfill a particular set goal, whether it is short- or long-term. A word of encouragement goes a mighty long way; a warm smile and a gentle physical pat on the back speak volumes when it is most needed.

It is with great pleasure that I take this time to say a special hearty thank you to my beloved family whom God has chosen to be in my lifetime. For each one of you add a special flavor to my peaceful and sometimes happy life, and this goes without saying. I love and appreciate you all.

To Latoya C. David, my firstborn daughter, thank you for being my inspiration. I pull my strength from your divine wisdom. You are wise beyond your age. Thank you for being the object of perfection. You are the one who diligently dots my i’s and crosses my t’s. Words can’t express how much you truly mean to me.

To Tenesha O. David, my second-born daughter, thank you for being my faithful soldier. You were always on duty—standing over me, rubbing my back, and whispering in my ears, How much further, Mom? Upon answering her question, she would rejoice at the progress of the book. Thank you for fixing the computer so that I could complete this assignment. Thank you for your love, affection, and kindness.

To my son, Kieran Kelvin Junior Parke, thank you for letting me know that I have the potential, strength, and knowledge to begin and complete this assignment. You would say to me, Mom, I believe in you. You are a fine example of a great man, and I love you dearly.

Most of all, to my Heavenly Father, I bow at your feet and worship you; I adore you because you became real to me. Thank you for keeping my mind stable. There is so much I want to say to you that there is not enough breath in my entire body to say what I truly feel and mean to say. Your love, faithfulness, and unmerited favor, which you have manifested in my life, are so much appreciated, and this assignment is evidence of your love and devotion that you have shown unto me. I love you, Lord. You truly are the best thing that has ever happened and will ever happen to me. Thank you, Father. I love you to my soul.

INTRODUCTION

T he sole intent of the writer is to give the readers of this book a clear understanding of what it means to be a pastor in pastoral ministry. We will examine the spiritual, mental, moral, financial, and physical aspects. These aspects will include some identifying duties such as having administrative knowledge. With this knowledge at the forefront, it will accompany this selective position in order to make this out-front leader successful in ministry operation. Other church organizations may call the pastor by different names, such as priest, bishop, elder, overseer, leader, rabbi, minister, gatekeeper, shepherd, etc. While each name is appropriate for a certain church denomination, this title comes with great responsibilities and expectations on the selected individual or individuals. This position is by no means to be taken lightly or simplemindedly, for these leaders are divinely appointed by God to lead his people in the path of righteousness. This is why it takes a special person to manage and maintain this ministry.

God is the one and only source who will give the grace for these specially chosen leaders to operate in the ministry of pastoral leadership. If you are not called by God to operate in this ministry, and for whatever reason, you make a conscious decision to nominate yourself—in other words, you self-appoint—I believe that this is a dangerous path for any self-appointed person or persons to be on. No matter what your intent may be, you will not last without the grace of God over your life. The grace of God is a much-needed factor to successfully operate in this ministry. As with any other, without it there is a high possibility that you will crack under pressure, frustrate yourself, and expose your inability to redirect and progressively achieve your set goals. This will make it challenging for those who are under the leadership of that individual or individuals.

Though I believe that anyone can be or become a pastor by divine appointment, this belief is based on this—that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). It suggests to me that he can use whoever he chooses to share his glory with; he will call and equip that individual to operate in his or her area of giftedness. The one that is called and not self-appointed has the gift to patiently and calmly carry the ministry in the correct divine direction with strength and vitality.

A pastor or any other religious leader should demonstrate some distinguishing characteristic or quality that will differentiate him as an example to follow. Firstly, he must have a rooted connection with the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit is the one who will guide him into all truth. The pastor is also the gatekeeper, and I strongly recommend that he acquire the spirit of discernment. This gift will play a vital part for him to sound the alarm that will warn his congregation and his immediate family. By activating this gift, his spiritual antennae will create awareness, forming a protective shield