“Doing Your Job”

Monday, April 27, 2020

     We have been without a preacher for sometime now.  One preacher who recently tried out at our church has gained the interest of our elders, but I have some concerns about his ability to lead.  He has six grown children, and only one is a faithful Christian.  The church he was at previously is losing members.  He is very knowledgeable about the Bible, but is that the only requirement?  I have voiced my concerns with the elders, but they say it's their duty to shepherd, and as long as he preaches the truth, I shouldn't be concerned.  What should I do?

Sincerely,
Concerned

Dear Concerned,

You’ve already done what you ought to do.  You had concerns about this man, and they sound like legitimate concerns, and you voiced them.  Choosing a preacher is both a doctrinal issue and a wisdom issue.  It sounds like the man is faithful and preaches the truth – that is the doctrinal element (2 Tim 4:1-5).  The wisdom part comes down to the other things that make up a preacher – personality, preaching style, experience, etc.

The elders of a congregation are specifically appointed to handle issues of wisdom.  They need to know how to manage people and assess these sorts of nuanced circumstances (1 Tim 3:4-5).  You did the right thing by giving them your thoughts on this matter, but now you need to trust their judgment – after all, that’s what they are there for (Heb 13:17).

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