Why do we persist in making our churches dependent upon, and primarily revolve around, a “Senior Pastor” …

When no such position or role exists in the New Testament?

Eph. 4:11 is the only verse where the Greek noun translated as “pastor” is used in the New Testament regarding the church.

That’s it. Just once and nowhere else.

Yet we’ve taken that one passage out of context and built our current, prevailing “pastor centric” model of church and church leadership around it.

Surprisingly, however, “pastor centric” churches and church leadership are nowhere found in the New Testament.

Nope, not, nada …

Just ain’t there.

And let’s be honest:

Not only has a “pastor centric” focus prevented churches today from being relational participatory gatherings with ministry one to another for the mutual building up of each other as the New Testament commands …

But it has destroyed many vocational “pastors” through burn out and disillusionment from trying to fill a position never intended by God.

The scope and intent of the word “pastor” in Eph 4:11, therefore, must be determined by the Greek grammar in that passage and by the rest of Scripture.

As to grammar, the word is tied together by a common, shared article with the word for teacher. Thus, the passage says that Christ Himself gave us “some as pastors and teachers” – rather than referring to “pastors” as a separate role.

That shared article in the Greek thus ties “pastors and teachers” together as two combined, interrelated functions in the church – not two independent, unrelated functions.

In the rest of the New Testament, the verb form of “pastor” – in the context of the church – is always used to describe a function performed by elders (plural), who also are to function as teachers.

Thus, in Eph. 4:11, Paul is saying that God gave the church those who function “as pastors and teachers” – i.e., elders – to equip God’s people to minister.

As such, “pastor” in the New Testament is never used, in either noun or verb form, to refer to a separate, independent position or office in the church. It is simply a term applied to one of the several functions assigned to elders (always plural) who serve each local church.

Pastoring is an important function. But it is only one of several functions that elders perform, rather than a separate office, title, or position that is apart from – or over – a proper, fully functional eldership.

Plus, there is not a single person called a “Pastor” in the New Testament, except for Jesus as the true head of the church.

I would never minimize the pastoral function of elders. As an elder, I take my duty to provide pastoral care and guidance very seriously – along with the other duties Scripture assigns to me as I serve our local church.

But neither will I take that one use of that one noun in Ephesians 4 out of context to build a whole “pastor centric” model of the church around it …

Especially when that “pastor centric” model is contrary to the rest of the New Testament and its numerous imperatives for how we are to actually be the church and how leadership is to properly function among us.