Memo to Young Reformed Men
By: Deji Yesufu
The late John MacArthur recalled a story that happened in the early days of his ministry, long before God gave him a name among reformed people worldwide. MacArthur had recognised a few young men in his church, whom he was convinced could be trained theologically for various roles in church and ministry. After undergoing this training for a while, he arrived one day to the meeting to something he called “a mutiny”. A few of the men felt that MacArthur was no longer doing ministry right; they were convinced he needed to be changed. He then turned to others in the group, those he thought would support him, and asked for their help. He was surprised they were also involved in the mutiny. MacArthur did not say how he survived that situation. Needless to say, that occasion spelt the end of the “training”, with many of the young men leaving church.
I am becoming more and more convinced that I am no longer a young man. The days of youth are long gone for me now. I have entered into those ages when I am spending more and more time reflecting on the past, and hoping to leave a legacy that will aid those coming behind. One legacy paramount to my heart is for biblical Christian ministries to be entrenched in Nigeria. It is this concern in my heart that drew my thoughts to recent happenings in a sister church in this country. Many things happen in the life of the church that is not meant for the headlines, but when something as serious as the removing of a minister from his office comes to fore, we want to know what occasioned it and we want to learn from it.
The reports I am getting about this unfortunate situation point at the fact that the minister involved in this matter might have committed sin but not a grave sin as to warrant disqualification from office. On the other hand, the individuals championing the removal of this minister are persons who themselves have developed a reputation for mutinies around churches all over the country. It is this situation that has brought me to writing a word of counsel to young men within Reformed churches. I hope that this counsel will help all of us be better individuals; adding to the Lord’s work and not subtracting from it. To achieve this, I will provide four counsels on a Christians minister. Then, I will provide three ideas for our young men in church.
Qualification and calling of a minister: Many of the young men who this essay is meant for are very knowledgeable individuals, and too many times what they know gives them a false impression of themselves. It is good for an individual to possess knowledge, but knowledge alone is not what qualifies one to the pastorate. Perhaps the foremost thing required is an inner sense of a calling from God. It is this calling that leads individuals to serve God’s people in the local church, and it is while serving people that the external call is recognised and the church recommends these men for training. And when the opportunity opens itself up, they are brought into greater service in God’s church. Pastoral work is servitude. It is not a reward for anything anyone has done on earth. It is serving God and his people. Most people in church do not have this servant spirit, and it is the reason why, despite whatever people know, they are usually not called into the Christian pastorate. The moment it becomes obvious that a young man in church is seeking the “high office” of the pastorate through the removal of the person there, for whatever reason, such a young man is disqualified from the office.
Regard for the office of a minister: The Reformation gave the churches “priesthood of every believer”. What that implies is that every Christian has direct access to God through Christ. We don’t need Marian mediatoriship, nor do we need the help of human priests. Nevertheless, the office of a minister remains a sacred one, and we are required to honour our pastors and respect them for their work sake (1 Timothy 5:17; Hebrew 13:17). That your pastor walks in humility in church is not an occasion for you to turn him into your “buddy”. The pastor is the spiritual head of a local church, and we must never lose the reverence that his office brings. We can learn many things from the Americans, but we must never imbibe their lack of reverence for the office of a pastor.
The sin of a minister: One of the saddest commentaries that has emerged from Reformed circles is the worldly cancel culture that we are imbibing. We forget too quickly that the Christian minister is a human being who also can commit sin and make mistakes. Before God, all sins are the same. Before men, sins come with grades. When a minister is found to have sinned, there are a couple of levels were the matter should be examined. The first should be among church members. If the general position is that the minister has committed a grave sin, a sister church should be permitted to examine the matter. If the sister church disagrees with the main church, they must be counselled against removing the pastor. Such church business meetings are almost always taken over by “mutineers”. Therefore the need for an independent enquiry. If eventually the pastor is seen as not having committed a grave sin, he should be counselled to repent of that sin anyway and must be permitted to return to his work. The pastor is a sinner who himself Christ died for. Church people must love their pastors enough to cover his sins.
The Experience of a Minister: While I am convinced that a sense of an inner call to ministry is that one most important item that qualifies one to ministry, one other thing that helps the minister in service is his sufferings. Suffering births experience that refines the heart of a minister to love people. Young men may have a lot of knowledge but I doubt if they have as much dealing with God as older men. A careful examination of Romans 5:3-5 will reveal what is formed in the heart of an experienced pastor. His sufferings births patience, hope, and love. It is these weapons he employs at serving the vulnerable in church. Young men who desire the office of the pastorate have desire for a good thing. However you must undergo process, and ultimately qualify for that office. Nigeria’s experience with coup plotting over the years reveals one thing: mutiny gives occasion to mutiny.
This bring me to three vital counsels to Young men who wish to enter ministry.
Missions: Consider missions. That pulpit you so much desire to commandeer was built with sweat, tears, and blood. If you wish to have one, build yours. If there is anything that Nigeria is deeply in need of, it is more biblical churches. Make the effort. Go to an unreached part of the world; gather your own people; teach them God’s word; get a local church to oversee your work; if your work is sound enough, you will be the first consideration for the office of a substantive pastor. It is against the rule of nature and even the Bible to build where another is building (Romans 15:20). If you wish to have yours, build yours. Most people do not realize how difficult pastoral work is until they are inside it. Let us be sensible; and let us be charitable.
Pastoral care: When a mutiny occurs in church, the first thing that suffers is pastoral care. We forget quickly that most people come to church to find healing. Many of these people are in intensive care units of the church, and they need the privacy and counsel of that pastor that is about to be removed. When an unthoughtful and hurried removal of a minister occurs in church, it spells a death knell to the missions there. Many pastors are very simple people, and they will usually not fight for their rights like worldly activists. People should not take advantage of this seeming weakness, or you court the displeasure of God. Most churches are built around the personality of the minister there. When you remove him suddenly, you put the spiritual condition of many in that assembly in jeopardy.
Taming the flesh – anger: One thing young men have more than everyone in the world is energy. And this energy can be wrongly used. I have worked with many young men, and one thing that grieves me about them is their anger. It is a kind of simmering rage that is waiting to overflow like a volcano. It is clear proof that such individuals are not fit for the ministry. If they inherit a pulpit, that church will not last six months. One of the things God gives a minister is patience. Not just patience but an uncanning ability to forgive wrongs and even forget them. I have seen Reformed young men stand on some seeming “principles” to walk in unforgiveness and rage. Such people can be many things, but they cannot be pastors. Yet, it is individuals like these that lead mutinies in church business meetings.
Conclusion
I have not said a pastor cannot be disqualified from office. He sure can. Every proper church should have a constitution that shows how and when a minister can be removed from office. But even after this is done, that church must allow for independent enquiry into the matter. I have also not written all these to offer immunity to my office as a pastor. I am not yet a substantive pastor because our church here in Ibadan is yet to be properly constituted. Whenever this is done, our constitution will show clearly how a minister can be removed. And you can be sure that modalities will be put in place to safeguard that office against the rage, ambition, and abruptness of young Reformed Men.
Deji Yesufu is the pastor of Providence Reformed Baptist Church Ibadan. He is the author of HUMANITY. He can be reached at [email protected]
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