Pastoral Care 1

Mission

         Monthly

The myths   

Pastoral care – looking after your people – has to be one of the most difficult tasks in the local church. It cannot be easily defined, yet everyone seems to want more of it and to increase its quality. Some people do it without realising they are doing it: others are appointed to do it and do it badly!  It’s hard to know if you are doing it properly because if you are not, you tend to find out when it’s too late.  The only way you know that you are doing it right is that you are not being criticised.  And it is an unending job.

Three myths

We need to establish clear principles for practical pastoral care if we are not to join the growing numbers of disillusioned and frustrated carers.  Firstly, however, there are at least three ‘myths’ that have infiltrated many fellowships, making the task difficult.  They need to be addressed in sermons, Bible studies, church magazines and business meetings.

Myth 1: The clergy and church leaders are omnicompetent

This is one of the oldest, most common myths in church life.  One person cannot care for the entire flock.  It is impossible to shepherd more than a relatively small number of people effectively.  What’s more, many congregations want not only a shepherd, but a sheep dog and vet as well – someone to chase up non-attenders and cure all the ills of anyone who has a problem.  People must be helped to see that such expectations are unbiblical and unrealistic.  And they must be convinced in practice, not just theory.  Many a congregation who would pay lip-service to the theory still believes that a visit from anyone other than the minister is somehow second best.

Churches which seem to have solved this problem with a well-accepted plurality of leaders (and there may be fewer genuine examples of this than we sometimes claim) need to beware.  ‘Clergy omnicompetence’ is not solved by replacing it with ‘leaders’ omnicompetence’.  The myth is merely shared out between more people.  The whole church body must be alert to the needs of others. It must be encouraged to act as a family, concerned for the well-being of the other family members.  Of course, some leaders will have pastoral care as their top concern in the fellowship. They will work hard in their visiting, caring and prayer ministry.  But the congregation must never see this as a reason for abdicating their own pastoral care responsibility.

Myth 2: Care can be ‘total’

Somehow, people have come to expect that all their needs – social, physical, emotional and spiritual – will be met by the church.  ‘The church can provide money if I get into debt, arrange transport when my car breaks down, plan activities to keep my little Billy out of mischief in the evenings,  and write me a job reference.’  None of these things, however legitimate, should be regarded as rights – this will just lead to ingratitude.  Such care is experienced as part of the privilege of belonging to God’s family. 

We’ve probably all witnessed the painful spectacle of someone’s goodwill being taken advantage of.  There must be many accountants, doctors and solicitors in our fellowships who have been button-holed by other church members and expected to give free advice.  Ways must be found to protect them and to educate our congregations about abusing their relationships.

 Myth 3: There is a solution for every problem

Actually, this is true, but we may not experience the solution this side of heaven.Some problems are removed by God here and now, some are not.Some problems ease with the passage of time, some merely change.The aim of pastoral care is not primarily to remove problems but to produce God-dependent individuals. God’s grace is available in large enough quantities to support us when His power is not used to remove the problem.Miracles or release from difficulty should, of course, be asked for in faith and – if given – received with gratitude.Their absence, however, is to be received with composure and fortitude.The most skillful pastoral carer will not be able to solve everything.

(first published in The Baptist Times February 2011)