Imagine this.
Pastor A and pastor B after being trained, were sent out at the same time to begin ministry. Pastor B, being led of the Spirit, goes to a large city and plants a church while pastor A, being led of same Spirit, goes to a remote village as a missionary.
Naturally, pastor B will receive city men and women as members into his church, first class and working class citizens, because that’s the kind of people in his church location. Those members will eventually give in hundreds of thousands and even millions to support the vision. They might eventually buy him a house, cars for him and his wife, send him abroad on vacation and conferences and many other good stuffs to appreciate his ministry and honour him for his labour.
Pastor A on the other hand mostly receives members who are financially struggling, people who are barely surviving. Petty traders, farmers, masons, janitors, etc. He has to contend with and exercise his faith to handle stuffs that are not even issues for pastor B and that, very frequently: financial and material needs, frequent demonic activities in the people he’s reaching, angry village native doctors, witches and wizards, occultists, local thieves and bandits, invading snakes, scorpions and other dangerous insects, poor security, poor healthcare, poor education for his children, etc.
He has to use his faith for all these. His members love him as well and honour him as much as they can but it still isn’t enough to take care of his family needs, so he picks up a job, working hard and still engages fully in ministry.
Fast forward, 15 years later pastor B has a mega church and large satellite churches in all the major cities of the country. He is invited in different places to minister in conferences and large churches. He is honoured, respected and revered by many but pastor A is in one corner with a few hundreds of poor members, serving.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to put one over the other but it’s very possible that pastor B may not be as tough, rugged and rich in experience as pastor A even if they both have knowledge, because ease and pleasure has a way of weakening a man in the spirit if he doesn’t deliberately put himself on his toes.
But which one do people naturally recognize more? Pastor B ofcourse.
Which gets more invitations and honorariums? Pastor B.
Which one will people submit to more to be trained in ministry? Pastor B. He’s the one they read his books and see on TV.
Which one is likely to get more partnership rolling in even from non members? Pastor B.
And people will recognize pastor B as a senior minister to pastor A.
Why?
Because the parameters for most people’s assessment of ministers and their ministries are majorly the outward stuffs, things that money can accomplish.
Many of us don’t even realize it.
The reason you want to connect with Pastor so-so so much is because you have seen pictures of his church service on Facebook, so large, so beautiful, so rich. But you see another sound, experienced minister but not with same ambiance, you already rank him lower in your mind.
That’s the world we live in.
Well, God doesn’t see things that way.
Hence both ministers must refuse to see things the world’s way and choose to see things God’s way.
So here’s my advice for both ministers:
1. Pastor B must not begin to see pastor A as junior to himself or feel he has a special grace which pastor A lacks. He must honour pastor B as much as pastor B is to honour him.
2. Pastor B must not look less of himself or of his work because of what pastor A has or is doing, neither should he despise him. He should realize those are just natural advantages he has and nothing more.
3. Pastor B should learn to share his material privileges with pastor A and should not mind supporting pastor A’s ministry financially and he must not let pastor A begin to exalt him more than necessary because of the material benefits.
4. They must keep seeing each other as brothers and fellow ministers of the riches of Christ. No superiority or inferiority complexes.
This is God’s way, and yes, it can be done.
The message was approved to be published and permitted by The Author, Pastor Sam Chiaka. He can be reached by that name “Sam Chiaka” on Facebook.