Are you a Pastor, or a Preacher? That’s how the conversation began as we sat around the table. Everyone with one elbow on the table leaning to one side thinking, “Is this the guy for the job.” Some have their notepads out with pen in hand to jot down a word or phrase—anything to take back to the congregation to report on their assessment of the potential new guy. Pastor? Preacher?

Paul writes in Ephesians 4:11-12, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ.” If we list the jobs, we know that no one person can be all these things, but that the congregation should exhibit some of these roles as well. If we are to build our church, we need people to be in the business of perfecting saints for ministry.

The primary job of those in leadership is to care and nurture believers to become active in the ministry to build and glorify Christ. There are times we demonstrate the compassion of Christ in the way we care for the sick and widowed. Yet the scripture indicates that God has given some to be pastors and teachers to lead men and women to more excellent service in the work of the Universal Church. The care of a leader is for a purpose. It is not coddling and hand-holding, but to lead men and women to relationship and service.

When I consider the roles fulfilled by the pastor of the congregation, I developed a staggering list. We know the pastor counsels individuals in matters of faith, but also provides counsel in marriage, parenting, money matters, and career choices. I don’t provide long-term counseling in any of these areas, but I don’t mind making a referral to CareNet Counseling East or another faith-integrated service. More experienced clinicians best serve some matters.

We’re often custodians. I have lost count of the number of times I have mopped the fellowship hall floor, replaced light bulbs, taking out the trash, vacuumed the carpet, or unclogged toilets. I know some pastors who cut the church lawn and one pastor who repaired some broken shingles on the steep roof of the sanctuary. Many pastors will not wait to call someone to handle these matters, but sometimes we do it because it needs to be done. Every time I laugh and wonder why they didn’t teach me in seminary how to repair leaky faucets.

Pastors are the CEO of the organization. We admit that Christ Jesus is the head of the Church, but the day to day business of the church is transacted under the watchful care of a pastor. These duties may be delegated to committees or representatives, but the pastor will oversee the processes and ensure correct measures are taken according to Biblical teachings and denominational protocol.

Each Sunday, the pastor stands to present a sermon on a topic of interest or spiritual importance. To adequately present these topics, the pastor must be a scholar, writer, and speaker. In some cases, a single sermon may take me six- to eight-hours to sufficiently prepare to speak on a topic. When we add up the amount of time studying, praying, reading, and listening to God’s wisdom, it is hard to believe how much work goes into a fifteen-, twenty-, or thirty-minute sermon.

Finally, the pastor of the congregation is responsible for public relations. Good leaders must build strong relationships with those of the community—fellow pastors, business owners, postal workers, neighbors, and sometimes government leaders. If you’re a city pastor, you know well enough that you need to know if the tree you plan to cut down will violate the code of the historic district. You need to know if the lights you put in the parking lot are a nuisance to the neighbor’s bedroom windows. Nonetheless, a community pastor will understand the needs of the community and work to help the congregation address those needs when appropriate.

The job of a pastor is daunting, and one that I think needs to be addressed. Regardless if you call your leaders pastor, preacher, reverend, or doctor, they need your prayer and support. No one can be everything to everyone, but we tend to expect just that. Spend some time today, holding your pastor and family in prayerful support. Commit to offering words of encouragement. Take a few moments to call, text, or drop a note of thanks to the one who selflessly cares and nurtures your congregation toward faithful service to Christ.