The office of pastor isn’t the birthright of the aspirational. Wanting to be a pastor doesn’t make you one. The office of pastor (elder, shepherd, overseer) is a calling given from the risen Christ to be recognized by local churches. A congregation must affirm what God has done to prepare a man to shepherd God’s people.[1]
Many men experience a long onramp to formal pastoral ministry. For some, this can be a discouraging time, waiting for what feels like the glacial approval of a skeptical congregation. I would discourage such discouragement. Proper preparation will profoundly serve your ministry in the long run—and can be a great joy in the meantime.
The question remains: what should an aspiring elder do until he’s recognized as an elder? The answer is simple. He should elder before he elders. He should shepherd before he shepherds. He should actively exhibit the ordinary qualities of a faithful pastor before he is officially recognized as one. Below are just a few ways to do so.
Cultivate Communion with God
This is not an article about holiness. Nevertheless, the indispensability of a pastor’s piety cannot be overstated. Indeed, there’s no more practical way for a pastor to serve
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