"Elite Quarterbacks" and "Elite Pastors"

The other day on ESPN, they were discussing whether or not a certain NFL quarterback was to be given "elite" status. For one of the commentators, the defining element to receive the "elite" status from the gods of the sports world was winning the Super Bowl. While the long-enduring faithfulness and steadiness of solid performances week after week leading the team to some victories and obviously enduring some losses, in-season & off-season, played a minor role in the discussion, the tenor of the conversation among the commentators was whether or not the "quarterback" won the Super Bowl.

(Sounds like a weird conversation especially since there are 10 other players on the field at any given time who must know their role and play it well just as much as the quarterback must play his. Anyway, I digress.)

As I listened to the conversation, the subject turned to coaches as well. Coaches were being fired left and right after 1 or 2 seasons, some after 5 seasons having not won the Super Bowl even though they "led" their team to winning seasons, the playoffs, and were a solid & steady & faithful captain along the way.

Then, the thought hit me: have we done the same thing in the "pastoral ministry" world? I know the overall & current pastoral system and church structure in my denomination is broken. But, the message that seems to be sent (probably unintentionally) by Christendom's culture gods is that to obtain "elite pastor" status in this world, one must "grow" your church to a certain "super bowl" size. Poor Jeremiah (never had a convert, never had a backslider repent). And, the unintended consequences for the "peons" out there? Pressure----because we do want our churches to grow, we do want more people introduced to Jesus and follow him faithfully. Pressure----because church members see this stuff and some begin to think, "if we get 'superpastor', our church can be like that". Pressure----temptations are triggered toward jealousy and envy.

Back in seminary I was privileged to read "Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome" by Kent & Barbara Hughes. And, it still stares at me everyday I walk into my study reminding me that faithfulness to Jesus, His gospel, His mission, and His people in feeding them, leading them, and loving them over the long haul is the definition of success in pastoral ministry.

Those are my ramblings for today.