Between 1979 and 1999 the Pope, John Paul II, published a collection of essays titled ‘Letters to My Brother Priests’. That sentiment, that his fellow clergy were his brothers, is something we would do well to learn from in our Protestant circles.
Those who serve Christ’s sheep as shepherds should see themselves as being in a spiritual brotherhood, a brotherhood that’s in desperate need of each other. The church has struggled with pastoral abuse, scandals, burnouts, and dropouts. The last few years of Covid, war, civil unrest and political instability have only heightened the weight carried by pastors. These trials have taken their toll. But where are pastors to turn when they need help?
The specifics of forming a spiritual brotherhood will, of course, depend on our various ecclesiologies. Those who are Presbyterian likely (though not necessarily!) have an established brotherhood through their presbyteries. Anglican ministers may or may not have regional networks for the encouragement of the clergy. Baptistic and independent churches probably have the weakest sorts of networks as a result of a possible overemphasis on congregationalism in times past. But all of us need one another. We all need to take responsibilities for one another, even if not in a formal and denominational sense.
We should ask ourselves, do we have brothers in ministry around us who know our hearts, who are aware of our sins? Are there fellow elders in our congregations who know how we’re struggling, to whom we can unburden our hearts? Do we have godly and wise pastors outside our own congregations to whom we can go for advice when we have relationship struggles within the church?
We often hear the question today: ‘Who pastors the pastor?’ As one firmly convinced of the Biblical importance of elder-led congregationalism, I think the first port of call for a pastor should be his own elders and congregation. A church should be able to care for her own pastor(s). Pastors should beware of the temptation to isolate themselves from their flocks, to separate themselves from or even elevate themselves above the normal weekly routines of confession and encouragement that we urge the congregation to participate in. Our elders can be a powerful tool for God’s Spirit to minister to us. Parity among elders means sharing sin and frustrations should not be a dangerous or threatening burden. How one applies this in another ecclesiology may look different, but the point is the same: churches should care for their pastors.
And yet there are times when we need advice or support from outside our own local congregations. Sometimes we deal with sensitive issues among our eldership. Sometimes we feel our fellow elders are the problem. Sometimes there’s not been the relational history of being able to open ourselves up to our fellow elders or church members. Maybe our perspectives in these situations are right, and maybe they’re not. In either case, it could be wise and even necessary to get outside input. But from whom? How many pastors have the sort of men around them to whom they can turn in times of real need?
Brothers, we must recover the art of caring for our brother pastors. You are your brother’s keeper. We do bear some measure of responsibility for one another as fellow undershepherds. It may not be a formal ecclesiastical responsibility, but certainly we have a responsibility to care for those around us as fellow labourers in the gospel and the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We should care for our brother pastors, not only as friends but also as fellow stewards of the precious gift of the local church.
Do we prioritise pastoral relationships? Do we make time to invest in other pastors and other churches in times of peace, so that when the winds and waves of trials come we have those from whom we can seek counsel? Do we set aside time for relationships that may seem inefficient or even unnecessary? Do we invest in other men for their sake, and for our own sake? Are we cliquey at pastors’ conferences, only spending time with our own friends, or do we look for others who serve near us that we can edify and help? Maybe you don’t need more friends, but does the pastor down the road?
Maybe we need to cross denominational boundaries in this brotherhood. Imagine the spiritual health and edification that could come from godly Pentecostals and Presbyterians, Anglicans and Baptists, Charismatics and Congregationalists, Methodists and Brethren, all taking a spiritual interest in each other’s lives and ministries. Our doctrinal and ecclesiological distinctives are important, but isn’t there much we can share in light of the common gospel we preach and in light of the common challenges of pastoral care? Are we so tribal that we’re afraid to get input from those outside our tradition? Are our own convictions so shallow that a robust defence of another’s theology or ecclesiology would be destabilising to our own views? Jesus is building His church across a wide range of denominations and theological perspectives. Maybe it’s time our relationships reflect that breadth as well. God can use others to bless our own congregations. There are more gospel-preaching churches out there than our own! The cause of Christ does not rise or fall with our ministries, praise God! We are not indispensable, and our churches are not the last bastion of Christianity in Britain.
Pastors’ fraternals are a great place to start. Reading groups can broaden our perspectives by helping us read things we wouldn’t prioritise on our own. Monthly walks with other pastors or times set aside for prayer together can do wonders for our spiritual health. Maybe a pastor near you is in desperate need of a pint or a coffee and a chat about life and ministry. How would you know if you never ask? Maybe a fellow servant of Christ in your area is really struggling with an extended trial or even his own sin, and he needs a fellow minister of the gospel to whom he can unburden his soul and begin the process of healing or repentance. Maybe you can be a blessing to another church in crisis, not by being able to fix the problem, but simply by being available for their encouragement. Pulpit swaps can be a great tool to bless our churches and ourselves as our congregations see both similarities and differences between other pastors and us. Maybe your own congregation needs to see how healthy their own church really is, and hearing the same teaching from another minister’s mouth could be just the ticket.
Look, everyone is trying to figure out how to deal with the various trials and scandals of the last decade. These issues have hit all our denominations. Maybe some mutual encouragement would be just the thing to pull us out of the despondence endemic among pastors today. Maybe spending time with other pastors, and having our churches get to know other pastors, would help protect us from destructive temptations ourselves. Maybe we need the fellowship and accountability of others to help us understand what Biblical church authority actually looks like and what faithfully serving as an undershepherd actually means.
Seeing fellow pastors as our brothers, and seeing their care as being – at least in some measure – our responsibility, keeps us from a narrow parochialism that is all too common in our churches. Our churches do not need us alone as ‘men of God’, for we are only men. Maybe it’s time for us to begin building better relationships with fellow pastors for their spiritual health and our own, for the sake of our churches, and ultimately for the gospel.
