Personal Dealing With Souls

One cannot overstate the crucial nature of pastoral ministry, as the pastors/elders seek to oversee the flock in the proclamation of right doctrine and truth, as well as leading the people to pursue Christ. In previous posts we have viewed several historical figures regarding the ministry of shepherding and oversight. Another example comes from a leading 19th century Baptist pastor, Hezekiah Harvey, from his book The Pastor: His Qualifications and Duties. 

Some may read these posts and think the task is laborious, and indeed it is. However, a group of elders in a local church is called by God and entrusted with a stewardship not only of the Word of God, but also the people of God. May we structure our ministries and time so as to be faithful to this facet of ministry.

[The responsibility of a pastor includes] Wise and faithful dealing with the individual souls of his charge. Paul went ‘from house to house,’ from soul to soul: he ‘ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears,’ and he proposes this as an example of ministerial fidelity, requiring the pastor to be ‘instant in season, out of season.’  Evidently he did not regard the work of a minister as done when performed only in the study and the pulpit: it included personal dealing with souls.

Jeremy Kimble (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Assistant Professor of Theological Studies at Cedarville University. He is an editor for Credo Magazine as well as the author of That His Spirit May Be Saved: Church Discipline as a Means to Repentance and Perseverance and numerous book reviews. He is married to Rachel and has two children, Hannah and Jonathan.