A pastor is called to serve a church but also has other areas of interest and passion that extend beyond the immediate congregation. Our call is to be part of God’s work to transform the world. That often involves tasks that reach beyond the immediate responsibilities of nurturing a congregation. Sometimes it can involve being engaged in activities that are controversial. Recall those pastors who felt compelled to march in the Civil Rights movement or in protest against war. While we can celebrate such actvities in history, there is not a lot of support for pastors being involved in such activities while they are happening.
It is not unusual for a pastor to feel constrained to just focus on the nurture and care of their congregation and to refrain from speaking out or becoming involved in actions that seek to improve the larger community. When does a congregation say to their pastor, where do you see God at work in our larger community? When do they ask a pastor to bring their theological wisdom to bear on interpreting what is happening in our world? Where does a congregation encourage a pastor to be obedient to God’s call in areas beyond the congregation and to bring the congregation with him or her in that activity?
If that doesn’t happen and the pastor bows to the pressures of the congregation or denomination not to engage in such activities, when does his or her soul shrivel to the extent that ministry simply becomes a job rather than a calling?
