On Being a Parish Pastor
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17-20a
I know my calling as a pastor is not typical. I feel the awkwardness of my call every time someone asks me what church I pastor. I do not pastor a particular church. My call is to visit multiple communities weekly in order to build relationships, begin gathering those who are desiring to know about the Bible and it’s teaching, and eventually begin seed works in those communities for a pastor to start a church.
There are three towns I visit weekly. I view each of these towns as separate parishes. Being a parish pastor has changed my perspective on pastoral ministry and richly blessed me personally and the ministry collectively.
What does it mean to inhabit a town with people of varying degrees of belief and unbelief and care for them as their pastor? I believe that is what being a parish pastor is all about. A parish pastor is a pastor to all of those within his town whether they believe in Jesus or not, or whether they consider you as their pastor or not.
Parish ministry is not a fast re-gathering of people who already believe similarly to you. Parish pastoring provides a safe place for people who are not like-minded with you. The parish is comprised of not only Christians, but the skeptic, the de-churched, the un-churched, or the disenfranchised.
Counselor Curt Thompson writes that everyone is looking for someone looking for them. I want to be a parish pastor who is looking for the people who feel no one is looking for them. If you think about it, people everywhere are waving their arms, whistling between fingers, and jumping up and down to be seen by someone. It’s the waitress whose Instagram account is filled with glamour selfies. It’s the ink on the skin’s surface begging to tell a story. It’s the young man whose truck needs a ladder to enter and subwoofers that thump at surrounding cars. It’s the boy sitting off from everyone else with hood shadowing his face. Who do they have who really listens? Most people are too busy and too consumed with their own pursuit of getting someone’s attention that they are busy talking and rarely listening. That includes pastor types like me. As I am listening to others, I am often merely formulating my bright and right answers so that I will be heard. Am I then really a safe place for someone to confess their wounds, or am I a vending machine for advice? I want to learn how to be a parish pastor for the hurting. In the space that I now inhabit I am slowly learning.
Where do I go? Saturday I went to a high school girl’s basketball game to celebrate the daughter of a family who scored her 1000th point. Tomorrow I’ll have breakfast at a local diner and ask the wait staff about their holidays, how they fared in the December freeze, and the current reprieve from tourists. In the afternoon I'll meet an organic farmer who wants to explore a wilderness area for the afternoon. Wednesday I’ll attend a Future Farmers of America pig competition. Thursday I’ll go to a local brewery to catch up with the bartenders. The places and people in a parish are endless and endlessly fascinating.
When do I know that parish pastoring is becoming a parish? When the waitress greets me by name and comments about my beard growth. When the bartender’s point of sale system designates me as “pastor” on the screen. When a new acquaintance, upon hearing I am a pastor, apologizes for cursing but your new friend sitting with you says to him, “It’s okay. He’s a pastor, but he’s safe.”
I have a pastor friend who, when asked the question, “What do you do for a living?,” answers, “I help people get to heaven.” I like that answer. It’s honest but also could bring an entrance of some humor into a larger and more serious conversation. As a parish pastor I am loving people by listening to them and, when asked, inviting them into a conversation about eternity. It’s a longview ministry. It takes time and frequent proximity to people.
God is reconciling the world to Himself through His Son who came into proximity with the skeptic, the de-churched, the un-churched, and the disenfranchised. He loved them. He demonstrated who He was. When asked, He told them who He was and what He was doing. Christ has ascended and commissioned us with the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.
I pray that churches will be developed in these towns where the pastors and people of those churches will value a heart, not just for each other, but for their endlessly fascinating parish. May the Lord bless these efforts and be pleased through us to bring many, many people into His eternal kingdom.