Baptist Pastoral Ministry, Missions, and Church Leadership — Unit 10: Finishing Well: Pastoral Integrity, Family, and Succession

Key Verse

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7, NKJV)

Learning Objectives

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Explain why a pastor must guard his own soul, and name practical ways to keep his devotion, rest and health.

2. Name the four great dangers to pastoral integrity (money, sexual sin, power and pride) and the safeguards against each.

3. Describe a biblical and balanced view of the pastor's marriage and children, and the church's duty to his family.

4. Explain how a Baptist church and pastor prepare for a change of pastors, remembering that the church calls its own pastor.

5. Answer common objections about retirement, accountability and the pastor's family.

The Voice of This Course

This course is written from inside the Baptist tradition, for Baptist pastors. It is conservative in doctrine and practical in purpose. Where Baptists differ, we state the views fairly and give the answer most conservative Baptists would give. This last unit gathers the course together. We ask how a pastor can finish well. The call and qualifications of the pastor are in Unit 1, conflict and restoration in Unit 5, and the church's calling of its pastor in Course 3, Unit 4.

A Race to Be Finished

Near the end of his life Paul wrote, "I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand" (2 Timothy 4:6). Then he said the words of our key verse. He had spoken in the same way to the Ephesian elders years before, when he said that he did not count his life dear to himself, so that he might finish his race with joy and the ministry received from the Lord Jesus (Acts 20:24).

Finishing is not automatic. Scripture shows leaders who began well and ended badly. Saul began humbly and ended in jealousy. Uzziah was helped by God until he was strong, and then his heart was lifted up to his destruction (2 Chronicles 26:15-16). Solomon asked God for wisdom and in old age his heart was turned away (1 Kings 11:4). Paul himself wrote with sorrow that Demas had forsaken him, having loved this present world (2 Timothy 4:10). "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12).

The Lord does not ask a pastor to be perfect. He asks him to be faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2). A pastor who finishes well keeps repenting, keeps believing and keeps on to the end.

Guarding Your Own Soul

Paul's charge to the Ephesian elders puts the pastor first: "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock" (Acts 20:28). He told Timothy to take heed to himself and to the doctrine, for in doing this he would save both himself and those who heard him (1 Timothy 4:16). Spurgeon's Lectures to My Students includes teaching on the minister's own life, and every pastor should read it.

Keep your own walk with God. A pastor who prays only for others and reads the Bible only to prepare sermons slowly dries up. Jesus rose early to pray alone (Mark 1:35). The apostles gave themselves "continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:4), and prayer comes first. Read the Bible for your own soul, apart from the sermon.

Rest. The Lord Himself said to His disciples, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while" (Mark 6:31). The prophet Elijah, after a great victory, ran in fear and wished to die, and God gave him sleep and food before He gave him a task (1 Kings 19:1-8). A pastor who never rests becomes harsh and then ill. Take a weekly day of rest and annual holidays. This is obedience to the way God made us.

Discouragement and depression. Many faithful pastors suffer seasons of deep sadness. Spurgeon himself spoke openly of such times in a lecture to his students. A pastor should not be ashamed to tell a trusted friend or his wife, and to see a doctor when needed (see Psalm 42:5). Prayer and medical care are not enemies.

Friends. Jesus sent out disciples two by two (Mark 6:7), and Paul asked Timothy to come to him (2 Timothy 4:9). A pastor needs a friend or two outside his own church, such as a fellow pastor in the association, who will pray for him and speak to him if he goes astray.

Four Dangers to Integrity

Pastors have fallen in many ways, but four dangers are named so often that every pastor should keep watch.

Money. Paul wrote that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10), and Peter told shepherds to serve "not for dishonest gain but eagerly" (1 Peter 5:2). Paul took great care that no one could blame him for the handling of the collection for the poor (2 Corinthians 8:20-21). Safeguards are simple. The church should have a treasurer and a finance team other than the pastor. Two persons should count the offering. The accounts should be reported to the church regularly. The pastor should not be the sole signer on church funds. He should live simply and speak honestly about his own income.

Sexual sin. Paul commands, "Flee sexual immorality" (1 Corinthians 6:18). Job made a covenant with his eyes (Job 31:1). Many pastors have fallen here, and the damage to families, to the church and to the gospel is great. The safeguards of Unit 2 apply: do not visit or counsel a person of the opposite sex alone and in private; keep doors open or have another person present; guard what you look at and read, including on the telephone and internet; cherish your wife; keep honest friends who may ask you hard questions. If a pastor finds himself drawn to another person, he should tell a trusted brother at once. Where a pastor has abused a child or any vulnerable person, the church must protect the victim and obey the law, as we said in Unit 5.

Power. Peter forbids pastors to be lords over the flock (1 Peter 5:3). Diotrephes loved the first place and drove out those who disagreed (3 John 9-10). In a Baptist church the congregation's final authority under Christ is a protection both for the church and for the pastor. A pastor should welcome the counsel of the deacons, accept being questioned, and not build a church around his own personality.

Pride. Proverbs 16:18 says that pride goes before destruction. A pastor of a growing church must remember that "neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase" (1 Corinthians 3:7). Accept praise lightly and correction gladly.

Integrity also means plain truthfulness. Do not exaggerate numbers, borrow stories as your own experience or promise what you cannot do (2 Corinthians 4:2).

The Pastor's Family

Paul says that an overseer must manage his own household well, for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God (1 Timothy 3:4-5)? The pastor's home is the first place his ministry is tested.

Marriage. Marriage is God's good gift, and a pastor's marriage is among the best witnesses his church will see. Paul tells husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25), and Peter tells them to live with their wives with understanding and to honor them (1 Peter 3:7). A pastor should plan time with his wife, listen to her and pray with her. She is not an unpaid assistant to the church. She has her own calling and gifts, and may serve as she is able, but the church should not demand it of her.

Children. A pastor should teach his children the Scriptures (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) and give them his time. Paul warns fathers not to provoke their children to wrath (Colossians 3:21). The pastor's children should not be required to be a model for the whole congregation. They are children, and need freedom to grow. The Bible gives sad warnings (1 Samuel 3:13; 8:1-3), but no guarantee that careful parents will always have godly children, and a church should show grace.

Paul wrote about the gift of singleness (1 Corinthians 7:7), and single or widowed pastors need the friendship and care of the church as well.

There are two opposite mistakes. Some pastors give the church everything and the family what is left. Others use "family first" as a reason to avoid the cost of ministry. Jesus taught that no one may love father or mother more than Him (Matthew 10:37), and Paul says a man who does not provide for his own family has denied the faith (1 Timothy 5:8). Both are true. The conservative Baptist answer is that these are not rival loyalties, because the pastor's service to Christ includes faithful care of his family. A church that cares for its pastor's family helps him to serve. It should provide fair support, a day off and annual holidays, and should not expect him to answer every call at every hour.

Succession in a Baptist Church

Scripture shows leaders preparing others. The Lord had Moses lay his hands on Joshua, in front of the people, to succeed him (Numbers 27:18-23). Elijah's mantle passed to Elisha (2 Kings 2). Paul trained Timothy, and told him to commit what he had heard to faithful men (2 Timothy 2:2). Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:17-38) shows a leader handing over the flock in prayer.

Baptist practice has a difference. In some churches a bishop or a board names the next pastor. A Baptist church, being self-governing, calls its own pastor (Course 3, Unit 4). The retiring pastor therefore cannot appoint his successor, and should not try. His part is to prepare the church so that the next change is wise.

Here is what a pastor can do to prepare.

• Train leaders as Paul trained Timothy. A church with several taught and respected leaders will not fall apart when one man leaves.

• Keep records of membership, finances, property and plans, so the next pastor starts with knowledge.

• Give early notice to the deacons, so that the church can pray and plan.

• Teach the church how to call a pastor: the qualifications of Unit 1, the church's right and duty under Christ, and the need to seek God's will. Many churches elect a committee to search and bring a recommendation to the church. The bylaws should say how.

• Help in the interim. Many churches use an interim pastor during the search. The retiring pastor should not be a rival voice.

Baptists differ on some of the questions that arise.

May the retiring pastor recommend a successor? Some say yes, if the church asks, because he knows the needs of the church. Others say he should keep silent so that the church is free. The conservative Baptist answer is that he may give counsel if asked, but the church must choose freely. He never imposes a man.

May a pastor's son succeed him? There is no rule against it, but the church must call the man freely, on his own gifts, and not out of loyalty to the father.

Should the retired pastor stay in the church? Some say he should leave so the new pastor may lead. Others say he may stay as an ordinary member. Whatever he chooses, he must not lead a faction, listen to complaints against his successor or act as a second pastor.

What of retirement itself? Scripture does not speak of a pastor's retirement, though the Levites at fifty years of age ceased the work of the tabernacle service but still assisted their brothers (Numbers 8:25-26). Many hold that a pastor does not retire from serving Christ, only from the burden of office. The church should honor and support its aged pastors (1 Timothy 5:17-18). Where there is no pension, the church, the association or the family should plan ahead.

Not all successions are planned. A pastor may die, fall ill or fall into sin. The bylaws should provide for such a day, and the deacons should know the steps. A church that has been taught well will go through hard days without panic.

Objections and Answers

Objection 1: "A pastor is called for life, so planning a successor shows a lack of faith." The Baptist answer is that a call from God does not mean the Lord asks no preparation. Paul planned for Timothy and for the elders. To prepare for the end is to care for the flock, which belongs to Christ and will outlast us.

Objection 2: "Accountability to other pastors threatens the church's independence." Baptist autonomy means that no outside body rules the church. It does not forbid friendship and counsel. Proverbs 11:14 says there is safety in a multitude of counselors. A pastor who joins an association and keeps friends there is following the example of Acts 15, where leaders asked for help and the church still decided.

Objection 3: "A pastor's duty is to the church before his family, since the work is urgent." A pastor who loses his home to save his church has not obeyed 1 Timothy 3:4-5 or 5:8. Stewardship of time is not a betrayal of the call.

Pastoral Application

Pastor Joaquín (a fictional example) has served a church of about one hundred and fifty for thirty-one years, and is sixty-four. His health is not what it was. After prayer with his wife, he tells the deacons that in two years he intends to retire from the pastorate.

For two years he trains two younger men to teach and visit, gives the church a written account of its records, and preaches on the Lord's care of His church and the calling of a pastor. The church elects a committee, and Joaquín does not take part in it. When the committee asks him for names, he says that he will gladly pray and give counsel if asked, but that the church must decide. The church calls a younger pastor. Joaquín remains a member for a time, never speaks against any change, and later moves to another town to be near his daughter. The church provides a small monthly gift. At his final service he reads 2 Timothy 4:7 and thanks the church. He reminds them that Christ is the Chief Shepherd.

Summary

Finishing well is not automatic, as Saul, Uzziah, Solomon and Demas show, so a pastor guards his own soul, keeps his devotion, rests, seeks friends and help in discouragement. He watches the four dangers of money, sexual sin, power and pride, and keeps simple safeguards against each. He loves his wife, teaches his children and does not neglect his home, and the church supports his family. Because a Baptist church calls its own pastor, the departing pastor prepares the church by training leaders, keeping records, giving notice and teaching the church how to call, but he does not appoint a successor. Baptists differ on recommending a successor, family succession and staying in the church after leaving. The goal is Paul's: to fight the good fight, to finish the race and to keep the faith, and at the end to hear the Chief Shepherd's approval.

Further Reading

• Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, especially the lectures on the minister's own life and spirit.

• Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor (1656).

• J. M. Pendleton, Church Manual (1867).

• Course 3, Unit 4 (the pastor's call and ordination), Course 5, Unit 1 (the Baptist pastor), Unit 2 (safeguards in visitation) and Unit 5 (conflict and restoration).

• John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, for the believer's journey to the end.

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