6 - The Apostle Paul’s Pastoral Ministry

A philosophy of pastoral ministry is indispensable to the task of shepherding God’s flock. A pastor’s approach to his sacred task may arise from his own experience, the examples that have preceded him in his theological or ecclesiastical tradition, pressure from the congregation, or any number of perspectives which purport to have the most expedient answers to challenging questions of our time. Today it is not uncommon to hear from the world of commercial trade about how to succeed in leadership for the church. As many different instances of ministry philosophy exist as pastors and leaders in the various local churches that comprise the Body of Christ. In the larger category of ecclesiology, this topic is one of the most varied regarding opinions and perspectives. This paper will argue that the biblical philosophy of pastoral ministry begins with the imitation of Jesus and His apostles. It will be shown that this concept of leadership imitation extends from the general features common to all believers in the growth process of experiential sanctification to the specific tasks that belong to pastors and teachers in the local church.