Pastoring with Less Pain,
Part 2

August 2008 e-Teaching

When pastors gather, they sometimes joke that if it weren't for people, pastoring would be a great profession. Indeed, people are the reason that pastoring is sometimes so painful. However, as I contended in June's e-teaching, if you are a sincere disciple-making pastor, then you know that pastoring genuine sheep---those who want to be discipled and truly follow Jesus---is an absolute delight. Thus I did my best to encourage pastors to purge their churches of goats by preaching the truth. And if that doesn't clear them all out, then biblical excommunication is in order. (And excommunication is biblical, of course.)

Most pastors, however, find the idea of excommunication to be a frightful proposition, and understandably so. Can you imagine what would happen in most churches if the pastor excommunicated someone, even attempting to do it quietly? Most likely it would result in gossip, strife, and a potential church split. Read more