Pray for us, if you will

Jeff has been asked to attend an interview for the Pastor's position at BCC on Sunday afternoon.

And they've asked for me to come along as well, which fills me with some trepidation, but also relief. If he were interviewing to be, say, a sewage engineer (as he has been previously), prospective employers would not dream of asking his wife to attend the interview as well. However, pastoral ministry to a local church is not like sewage engineering. (... Well, not in some ways!) It is important for the church to consider Jeff's wife as well as Jeff.

Paul wrote to Timothy with quite specific selection criteria for certain official positions within the early church in Ephesus. The titles used in the original Greek are translated "overseer" (or "bishop") and "deacon" in my version. Whatever the fine print of the job requirements for these positions, compared to the position of "Pastor" which Jeff is presently applying for, Paul had some things to say which it would be wise for Jeff and I, as well as the elders and congregation of BCC, to consider.

1 Timothy 3
1 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer [bishop], he desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer [bishop] must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.

8 Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

11 In the same way, their wives [deaconesses] are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

12 A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13 Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

14 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16 Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:
He [God] appeared in a body [in the flesh],
was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.

Obviously there are criteria other than those relating to our marriage here, which must also be considered when assessing Jeff's suitability for pastoral ministry. All but one of the criteria Paul lists here are character traits, behaviours that provide evidence that the person concerned is living a life of faith. They have put off the old, corrupted self and put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph 4:222-23). They are continuing to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in them to will and act according to His good purpose (Phil 2:12b-13).

The only criterion which is directly related to the skills (or gifts) required to carry out the tasks involved in this pastoral ministry (for "overseers") is: "able to teach". Jeff has had many people, over the years, acknowledge privately and publicly that he is indeed gifted with the ability to teach from the word of God. He suspects that the pastoral search committee will ask him to preach one Sunday at BCC before they make any final decision, as well.

So please pray for us as we attend the panel interview together on Sunday afternoon. It is an awesome responsibility to work full time in the edification (building up) of the church of God in a local congregation. A "noble task" indeed.