Oxford Community Church | Personal Pastoring

God himself is a shepherd to his people, and he also gives men and women as shepherds (which is what 'pastor' literally means) to the church. These pastors are not meant to lord it over ‘the sheep’, but to care for God’s people and to help bring them to maturity.

We see the church elders as shepherds of God’s people (1Pet 5:1-4), but it is impossible for the three of them to provide really personal care for the whole of our congregation. In reality, no one can offer high quality personal discipleship to many more than a dozen other people. It is interesting that Jesus himself chose 12 disciples to be close to him. There were other disciples (e.g. the 72 – Luke 10:1), but they were not cared for as closely.

A Personal Pastor for Everyone

So, to ensure that everyone in the church is well cared for, we have recognised a number of other people in the church as pastors, who can offer more personal pastoral care on behalf of the elders. In fact, they are able to offer more than just care. We all need caring for, especially in the midst of a crisis, but pastors are supposed to help people to mature. Practically, that will mean accountability and discipleship.

Accountability is a necessary part of ‘living in the light’ and plays an important part in conquering our sins. A general level of accountability is possible in the church’s small groups, but there are some things that need to be confessed less publicly! Personal pastors are able to take time to work through these deeper issues.

Discipleship means ‘following’. Obviously, all Christians are seeking to follow Jesus, not another human being. Yet Paul told the Corinthians to follow him as he followed Jesus (1 Cor 11:1). The reason is that we can mature more quickly as Christians if we will listen to, copy and follow a more mature believer.

It is worth stressing that all OCC’s personal pastors are offering care, accountability and discipleship on behalf of the elders. That means that they can turn to the elders if they need further help, and anything that is shared with a pastor is done in the knowledge that it might later be shared with the elders. It also means that the elders can suggest that a particular relationship be changed. We believe that this healthy, since it prevents pastors becoming ‘possessive’ of their charges, and prevents people from developing an intensely dependent relationship with their pastor. It also means that everyone in the church has recourse to the elders’ wisdom when they most need it.

How do I get a Personal Pastor?

Since ‘personal pastoring’ involves a relationship with the pastor, a good place to start looking is amongst the people in the church that you already know. Is there an individual, or a married couple, who already care for you, and whom you could ask for more accountability and discipleship?

If you are thinking about asking someone to be your pastor, please talk to your small group leader about it first. They will offer you some advice and also check that the elders are happy to see this relationship as offering pastoral care on their behalves.

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