Character Matters
What do you want in a pastor?
I suspect most churches want someone who’s impressively gifted. They look for someone who’s a good preacher, good leader, and who’s good with people. They also want a godly person, but this can be assumed.
Primarily, though, we need pastors who are godly.
I’ve seen books that work through the character qualifications of elders. They highly emphasize that most of the qualifications are character qualifications, emphasizing the importance of godly character to the pastoral task. As David Murray writes, “The minister’s soul is the soul of his ministry.”
Character Matters by Aaron Menikoff is the first book that I’ve seen that reflects on the fruit of the Spirit in the pastor’s life. “A ministry not marked by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control is like a ticking time bomb — it’s set to explode,” writes Menikoff.
The book is simple. Menikoff works through each of the fruit and examines what it could look like in a pastor’s life. He is honest about his own failings as a pastor. Because he knows the temptations that those of us in pastoral ministry face, he is able to speak to the hearts of other pastors and warn us against the unique temptations that come as we lead churches. I was challenged many times to consider how to long for more of the Spirit’s fruit in my life.
I recommend this book for three reasons.
First, we are all tempted to elevate giftedness over godliness. We value size, glamor, and quick results more than we do faithfulness and character. This book helps pastors to refocus on what matters most, speaking to their issues in particular. It would serve well as a study for elder boards, or even as a book for pastoral search committees to consider.
Second, we are all in process. I found many parts of the book challenging. The older I get, the more I long for the kind of life that is marked by the fruit of the Spirit. I personally needed the challenge contained in this book.
Third, our world needs this emphasis right now. I’ve been growing increasingly concerned about the tenor of conversation I witness among professing believers. The reasons for the lack of civility are many, but evidence a lack of the fruit of the Spirit, including among pastors. This book is necessary given what’s happening around us.
Imagine if pastors were best known not for their sermons or visions or gifts but for their godliness. I long for that world. I long for my own heart to be transformed so that I become a godlier person, and that my most effective ministry comes out of who I am. I long for a generation of pastors who are characterized by the fruit of the Spirit rather than by combativeness or vitriol. This book points us in the right direction. It probably won’t teach you anything new, but it will remind you of what matters most, and it may bring you to your knees as you long for more of the Spirit’s work in your life.
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