My Philosophy of Ministry

Nathaniel B Parker

CM7402: The Work of Ministry

November 18, 2016

 My Philosophy of Ministry

The Bible’s Role in Pastoral Ministry

A pastor’s philosophy of ministry forms the purpose concerning his ministry and the

goals necessary in order to accomplish the ministry’s purpose. The Bible serves as the foundation

and guide to the pastor’s ministry. God’s Word provides the biblical standard upon which Jesus

Christ has built His church, and keeping the Bible’s role front and center in the pastor’s ministry

ensures the pastor is operating a ministry in line with the principles God has outlined in His

Word.1

The early church placed a strong emphasis on the teaching of the Word of God and

doctrine as one of the primary functions of the early church’s ministry. Christians in the early

church taught and preached the Word of God first as a means of leading people to a saving

relationship in Jesus Christ, as well as edifying and exhorting existing believers in Christ in order

to grow in spiritual maturity. Likewise, in modern day ministries, the Bible must continue to have

its central role in order for the ministry to effectively grow as a biblically-sound ministry.

Anything less fails to live up to the standard of ministry and the church as outlined in God’s

Word.2

Why is the Bible such a critical foundation of pastoral ministry? The answer is that the

Bible is the inspired Word of God. God “breathed out” His Word to His people preserving it in

written form in the Bible. Because the Bible (and every Word of the Bible, as Adrian Rogers so

beautifully put it: “You can't have thoughts without words any more than you could have

mathematics without numbers.”) is inspired of God, it is profitable for doctrine and instruction in
———————————
1.
John F. MacArthur, Jr., MacArthur Pastor’s Library on Pastoral Ministry (Nashville,
TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2005), 48–49.
2.
Ibid., 59.

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the Christian faith (2 Timothy 3:16).3 Solid instruction in the Bible is vital to the spiritual

maturity of the believer in Christ as well as the pastor’s ministry.4 Adrian Rogers said it best:

“this book is not just the book of the month, friend, it's the book of the ages.”5

There are two applications for pastors who wish to emphasize the centrality of the

teaching and preaching of the Bible in ministry. The first is that the Bible points fallen, sinful

individuals to a saving relationship in Jesus Christ. Salvation in Christ goes beyond intellectual

acknowledgement of Christ’s existence. It involves a relational aspect with Christ being one’s

personal Lord and Savior. The Bible as special revelation is required in order to understand the

person and work of Christ involved in one’s salvation.6

After an individual has been led into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Bible is

then the guide book to ensuring the believer in Christ can grow into spiritual maturity in the

Christian walk. MacArthur says it beautifully: “Scripture is the divine plumb line by which every

thought, principle, act, and belief is to be measured.”7 In order for believers in Christ to mature

spiritually in the faith, daily nurturing through the Bible is required as much as physical food is

required for human beings to mature and grow physically. The pastor’s duty in modern ministry,

like it has been through the ages, is to provide both spiritual nourishment to his ministry and

congregation through the teaching and preaching of the Word of God while inciting a hunger for

the Word of God so the congregation will be involved in daily study of the Bible when not in the
———————————
3.
Adrian Rogers, The Adrian Rogers Legacy Collection – Sermons (North Palm Beach,
FL: Adrian Rogers Foundation, 2011), Why I Know the Bible is the Word of God.
4.
Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding
Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 77–78.
5.
Rogers, The Adrian Rogers Legacy Collection – Sermons.
6.
Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic,
2013), 144–45.
7.
John F. MacArthur, Jr., 2 Timothy, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago,
IL: Moody Press, 1995), 161.
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presence of the pastor.8 Adrian Rogers stated it beautifully when he said: “These hath God

married and no man shall part, dust on the Bible and drought in the heart.”9

Focusing on the Family: Second Only to God

While the traditional family is on the decline in America even to the point of weakening

the family of pastors, the Bible places a strong emphasis on the pastor’s family and how it relates

to his ministry. John MacArthur’s handbook on Pastoral Ministry summarizes the pastor’s

family and his ministry best by saying: “The pastor’s home must be top priority in his

ministry.”10

1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 provide the guidelines for a pastor’s family and its relationship

to his requirements for ministry leadership. The pastor, if married (since the Bible does not

exclude single men for pastoral ministry roles), should be devoted to his wife, committed one

hundred percent to her, and love her as Christ loved His church. Piper worded it this way:

“Loving our wives is essential for our ministry. It is ministry.”11 He is also to provide the loving

leadership to his household and is responsible to God for how he conducts the leadership of his

household. He is also to lead and guide his children and ensure his children are functioning in

line with the principles outlined in the Word of God. Failure to do so results in a pastor being

disqualified for ministry leadership, as MacArthur’s handbook goes onto state: “A weak home

means a weak ministry”.12

———————————
8.
MacArthur, 2 Timothy, 153–54.
9.
Rogers, The Adrian Rogers Legacy Collection – Sermons.
10.
MacArthur, MacArthur Pastor’s Library on Pastoral Ministry, 121.
11.
John Piper, Brothers, We Are not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry
(Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002), 245–46.
12.
MacArthur, MacArthur Pastor’s Library on Pastoral Ministry, 122–25.
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While 1 Timothy 3 disqualifies a divorced man or polygamist to fulfill a pastoral role, the

interpretation of the passage is deeper, referring to the pastor’s “moral, sexual behavior” as

defined by MacArthur, as it is the area in which men (including many pastors) are most likely to

fail.13 MacArthur goes onto state it best when he said: “It is not enough for the overseer to have

an exemplary personal life, he must also have an exemplary home life.”14

In addition to remaining faithful to his wife, leading his children into a personal

relationship with Christ and to spiritual maturity is also crucial. His home is his “testing grounds”

for his effectiveness in leading his ministry and members of his congregation to a personal

relationship with Christ and to spiritual maturity. MacArthur summarized it best when he said:

“If he succeeds in his family, he is likely to succeed in God’s family.”15

Fishing for Men: Pastoral Evangelism

One of the primary functions of the church and ministry is to evangelize the lost for Jesus

Christ. Since Christ commanded His church to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19-

20), the pastor’s responsibility in evangelism should remain of crucial importance. The church is

to fulfill Christ’s “Great Commission”, and the church and ministry can only fulfill it when a

pastor takes the leading initiative to partake in evangelism.16 MacArthur said it best in his

commentary on the Great Commission when he said: “The Lord has given His church a supreme

mission and that He calls every believer to be an instrument in fulfilling that mission”.17 Failure
———————————
13.
John F. MacArthur, Jr., 1 Timothy, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago,
IL: Moody Press, 1995), 103.
14.
Ibid., 113.
15.
Ibid., 116.
16.
MacArthur, MacArthur Pastor’s Library on Pastoral Ministry, 247–48.
17.
John F. MacArthur, Jr., Matthew, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago,
IL: Moody Press, 1985), Matthew 28:16.
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for the church to engage in fulfilling the Great Commission is, as Rogers states: “the sin of high

treason against Heaven's King.”18

Biblical evangelism includes the aspects of going into the world and presenting a clear

message of the Gospel as salvation by faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Christians must

go to the lost souls of the world and not expect the lost to solely come to the doors of the church

and ministry. The church and ministry must also ensure its Gospel message aligns with the death,

burial, and resurrection of Christ as the only means of salvation (John 14:6). Any other teaching,

no matter how noble it sounds, is less than the Gospel. MacArthur summarizes the mission of the

church beautifully when he says: “Fellowship, teaching, and praise are not the mission of the

church but are rather the preparation of the church to fulfill its mission of winning the lost”.19

Evangelism also involves baptizing new believers in obedience to the commands of Christ (while

not a requirement of salvation, baptism is a command of Christ that should be obeyed by new

believers), and teaching and instructing new believers in the commands of Christ and His Word,

leading them to spiritual maturity.20 Rogers summed up discipleship beautifully in these words:

“It's not enough that we dip them and drop them; we must teach them,” and “In New Testament

evangelism, they did not count decisions; they counted disciples.”21

The most rewarding method of biblical evangelism is personal evangelism. The pastor

should be personally evangelizing the lost for Christ and leading his congregation to become

actively involved in personal evangelism. Broader mass evangelism should also be included in a

pastor’s ministry through his preaching, both through specific evangelistic messages as well as

ensure his regular biblical exposition both edifies existing believers in Christ as well as points
———————————
18.
Rogers, The Adrian Rogers Legacy Collection – Sermons.
19.
MacArthur, Matthew.
20.
MacArthur, MacArthur Pastor’s Library on Pastoral Ministry, 248–49.
21.
Rogers, The Adrian Rogers Legacy Collection – Sermons.
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unbelievers to the cross of Christ. MacArthur’s handbook on Pastoral Ministry stated it best by

saying: “Evangelism for the pastor is not a gift, nor is it an option. It is a command; one he

should be careful to obey!”22 The pastor is to have a passionate love for lost souls and a

contagious desire for both he and his congregation to bring the lost to Jesus Christ.23 Rogers

beautifully sums up reaching the lost for Christ when he said: “There is nothing that can stand

between us and the Great Commission—except for our disobedience.”24

Preaching and the Word: Pastoral Preaching

Preaching is the pastor’s most important duty to his ministry. This preaching should be

founded on the Word of God. The Lord has chosen preaching as His method to bring lost souls to

Christ as well as edify existing believers in Christ. MacArthur’s handbook on Pastoral Ministry

beautifully emphasizes the importance of preaching to a pastor’s ministry work by saying: “No

man can be a good pastor who cannot preach, any more than a man can be a good shepherd and

still fail to feed his flock.”25 The only qualification that outlined a pastor’s functional role (the

rest of the qualifications were moral) in 1 Timothy 3 was that he is able to teach (and his teaching

comes through his preaching). Christ’s ministry, as well as the ministry of the early church,

placed a strong, central role on preaching.26

In order for preaching to be effective, it must be grounded on teaching the truth and

doctrine of the Word of God. The Word of God needs no watering down in order to be

“relevant”. The Word of God is relevant and timeless for every age. MacArthur’s handbook says

it best: “Scripture alone is the foundation for preaching. In it alone lies the life-giving message of
———————————
22.
MacArthur, MacArthur Pastor’s Library on Pastoral Ministry, 251–53.
23.
Ibid., 254–56.
24.
Rogers, The Adrian Rogers Legacy Collection – Sermons.
25.
MacArthur, MacArthur Pastor’s Library on Pastoral Ministry, 204–5.
26.
Ibid., 205–6.
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salvation and edification God wants proclaimed from the pulpit...Only in the Scriptures are the

mind of God, the will of God, the purpose of God, and the plan of God revealed ”27

Because the Bible is the inspired Word of God, it is profitable for doctrine and instruction

in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16), and that instruction can only be provided in effective biblical

preaching. Reimers touched on the sufficiency of the Word of God this way: “The clear

implication is that apart from God’s Word people are imperfect or incomplete.”28 The most

effective form of preaching is biblical exposition. It is the preaching in which the pastor

accurately and effectively proclaims the message of God and His Word to his ministry and

congregation through a combination of solid interpretation and practical application. Robinson

defines expository preaching this way: “The type of preaching that best carries the force of divine

authority is expository preaching.”29 Vines and Shaddix defines expository preaching as: “the

process of laying open a biblical text in such a way that its original meaning is brought to bear on

the lives of contemporary listeners.”30 Pastors must take Paul’s advice to Timothy and “preach

the Word” and do so faithfully through biblical exposition that leads to transformation.

The Pastor and Church Administration

Tidwell begins his classic on Church Administration by saying: “The church is people.

They are not just any people. The church is God’s people. They are children of God.”31 Because

the church is the people of God and a God-ordained institution instead of a man-made
———————————
27.
MacArthur, MacArthur Pastor’s Library on Pastoral Ministry, 207–8.
28.
Gary Reimers, The Glory Due His Name: What God Says About Worship (Greenville,
SC: Bob Jones University Press, 2009), 45–47.
29.
Haddon W. Robinson, Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of
Expository Messages, Third (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2014), 3–4.
30.
Jerry Vines and Jim Shaddix, Power in the Pulpit: How to Prepare and Deliver
Expository Sermons (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 28–29.
31.
Charles Tidwell, Church Administration: Effective Leadership for Ministry (Nashville,
TN: B&H Publishing Group, 1985), 25.
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organization, the goal of the church and ministry is to fulfill the commands of Christ, especially

with regard to the Great Commission. In order to effectively carry out the commands of Christ

and the Great Commission, the church must fulfill its role in the most efficient, effective, and

clearly-organized manner possible. Church administration is the solution in order for the church

to efficiently and effectively carry out its mission.32

The pastor serves as the church’s primary spiritual leader and shepherd under the

authority of Christ to guide the church to fulfilling its mission. In smaller churches, the pastor

may also be required to function as the church’s primary business administrator to carry out the

work of the church, whereas in larger churches, the pastor may have the assistance of a dedicated

church business administrator. Regardless of how personally involved the pastor is in church

administration, the pastor cannot forget that church administration is still a part of the church’s

overall ministry and an area that cannot suffer neglect. Tidwell clearly illustrates the need for

church administration this way: “Church administration is to serve the church. The form of the

service is ministry.”33

While some modern churches have the belief that organization, written policies and

procedures, and structure is un-Scriptural, and that the Holy Spirit should be the primary guide to

the church’s mission, effective church administration provides a more Scriptural structure and

makes better use of the leadership of the Holy Spirit than no structure and organization at all.

God is not one of disorder. By forming a crystal clear mission statement and objectives for the

church and implementing clear policies and procedures for the church, the church can ensure it is

fulfilling its mission and the commands of Christ and Great Commission in an organized manner,
———————————
32.
Tidwell, Church Administration: Effective Leadership for Ministry, 26–27.

33.
Ibid., 28–
29.
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making the most efficient use of its resources (personal, physical, and financial), and that it is

operating an effective ministry.34

Two applications to church administration should be applied to modern ministry. First,

pastors and church leaders should emphasize people over physical and financial resources. While

physical and financial resources play a role in the overall picture of church administration, church

administration is primarily concerned with the leading of the people of God, and the people of

God should take primary emphasis in church administration. Physical and financial resources are

secondary resources God has provided His church with to more effectively carry out the mission

of the people of God.35 Second, policies and procedures should, as much as possible, derive

directly from a biblical foundation. While modern society is becoming increasingly litigious, and

while churches need a strong, legally-defensible set of organizational policies and procedures,

ensuring these policies and procedures are grounded in the Word of God will ensure churches are

carrying out the task of obedience to the commands of Christ and keeping the Bible at its

necessary foundation.36

———————————
34.
Robert H. Welch, Church Administration: Creating Efficiency for Effective Ministry
(Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2005), 23–24.
35.
Tidwell, Church Administration: Effective Leadership for Ministry, 35.
36.
Ibid., 23–
24.
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WORKS CITED

Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013.

MacArthur, John F., Jr. MacArthur Pastor’s Library on Pastoral Ministry. Nashville, TN:
Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2005.

———. Matthew. MacArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1985.

———. 1 Timothy. MacArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1995.

———. 2 Timothy. MacArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1995.

Piper, John. Brothers, We Are not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry.
Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002.

Reimers, Gary. The Glory Due His Name: What God Says About Worship. Greenville, SC: Bob
Jones University Press, 2009.

Robinson, Haddon W. Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository

Messages. Third. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2014.

Rogers, Adrian. The Adrian Rogers Legacy Collection – Sermons. North Palm Beach, FL: Adrian
Rogers Foundation, 2011.

Ryrie, Charles Caldwell. Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical
Truth. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999.

Tidwell, Charles. Church Administration: Effective Leadership for Ministry. Nashville, TN:
B&H Publishing Group, 1985.

Vines, Jerry, and Jim Shaddix. Power in the Pulpit: How to Prepare and Deliver Expository
Sermons. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999.

Welch, Robert H. Church Administration: Creating Efficiency for Effective Ministry. Nashville,
TN: Broadman & Holman, 2005.