I have only pastored the people of God for a few years, and even then it was a growing small church and we didn't have all the money and influencial men and women. We were students, celebrating our love for God weekly and bearing each other's burdens. Therefore I cannot claim to have the experience of dealing with a large congregation, nor men and women of high calibre. I do however have enough knowledge and daily walk and wisdom of the Lord to recognise proper standards.
In my view, ministry and leadership go hand in hand. Of course one does not have to be interested in governance as a christian, indeed you may be better off following after your passions for God and spiritual things alone. However you'll agree with me that in your little cubicles, the onus lie on you to be socially responsible. Christianity should not be practiced inside our homes or within the walls of the church alone. The best example of true christian walk abound in your daily interactions and how relevant the faith is to your society.
Daily I have watched christians who show an utter apathy at the ills of their society. Their argument is that why bother; afterall we're strangers and pilgrims on the earth? I find this disturbing indeed. I found the headline news about two different high flying churches who have purposed to spend millions of dollars to build large churches with state of the art and expensive technologies worrisome. Why invest so much in monuments that will fade away and eventually get destroyed when half the money can be used to improve the lot of the membership they're supposed to feed?
Gospel injunction to sheperds is to "feed the flock of the lord". Does this only connote teaching them God's word? While much of God's direction definitely means so, I guess we can extend it a little to also mean "care for their welfare, ensure they're clothed, housed, and are socially secure". God expects us as ministers, whether in direct governance or leading our flock, to be socially relevant in their lives. Using our positions to influence what happens to them when they walk outside the church.
Of what good will a big church auditorium, glass walls, plasma screens, state of the art sound systems, wireless hotspots, leather cushions for seats etc do to individual lives? Do these things indeed enhance spiritual knowledge? Do they add up to how much we can be effective in ensuring that the flock are well taught God's word and are growing in his grace? I haven't asked ministers to consider going into governance. This will of course be very wrong and unbiblical - "Let each man be persuaded in his heart".
However I am asking ministers and christians to pause and think again, aren't we supposed to be socially responsible to our society? Should we just be content with getting by life, as long as we're assured of heaven's splendour?
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