“…and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

(Ephesians 5:27, NIV)

Being in Pastoral ministry is very different from any other organizational leadership role. While a CEO primarily focuses on building morale, team dynamics, and operational efficiency, a pastor must address both the spiritual and psychological dimensions of those they lead. He carries a dual responsibility: to lead with prophetic vision toward the future direction of the church, and to manage the present with practical wisdom.

What, then, is the prophetic vision toward the future direction of the church?

It is made clear in Ephesians 5:27 (referenced above) : the goal of the church is to be presented to Christ as a bride without stain, wrinkles or blemish. A stain or blemish is easily identifiable, while a wrinkle may be present without being immediately apparent. Allegorically speaking, stains and blemishes represent overt sins the church cannot overlook within the flock—such as adultery, idolatry, and dissension—while wrinkles may reflect areas not necessarily sinful in themselves, yet still in need of refinement for the sake of unity, order, and maturity (such as grooming practices, dress expectations, cultural conduct, personality issues, etc.).

What about the issues of the present?

Unfortunately this is where pastors face the most heartache and resistance. While working towards a blameless bride for the future, fierce opposition to the standards set by the church will occur. Doctrinal and personal purity will be challenged by those operating on outdated spiritual “software”—still running on Windows XP, as it were—having settled comfortably into stagnation rather than continuing to grow in spiritual illumination. These in the flock who are the most opinionated and outspoken are seldom the wisest or the deepest wells.

Interestingly, another phenomenon often arises: those who are fully aware of the standard may violate it and later assume the posture of the victim, even crying persecution. For example, if a church holds a position against dyeing one’s hair blue, some members have no issue with the standard—until the day they undergo the change themselves. From that moment on, they cry persecution as though the standard had been formed out of thin air in response to their action, when in fact it had existed all along. In other words, they assume victimhood while standing in self-chosen violation. It is important to remind them that they chose to violate the standard and therefore cannot rightly claim victimhood, since they entered this situation by personal choice.

How is a pastor to respond?

It is easier to compromise and lower the standard for the sake of accommodation; however, each accommodation invites another, until the standard is no longer shaping the people—the people are shaping the standard. The bar is set so low that it no longer challenges people toward transformation, but merely meets them where they have fallen. Is it any wonder, then, that the bride of Christ has shed her splendor and been reduced to a skeleton? Therefore, it is imperative to maintain the standard at all costs.

What is the dual-lens view of the church?

Whether a church is composed of family, friends, or foes, pastors may find it helpful to view the congregation through a dual lens: those who align with the vision of the standard and those who resist it. The former labor to build toward the vision, while the latter, whether intentionally or unintentionally, work against it. Either way, it is very telling.

The price of the standard

Whenever a standard is set, many attempts to bend it out of shape will be made. No partiality should be shown for the sake of convenience, comfort or misplaced compassion. There is always a price to pay. Pastors will be scrutinized, ostracized and criticized—but that is the cost of maintaining the standard. Eternity will not be about the applause or “likes” you get in this life, but rather about the truth you stood for. John 6:60 (NIV) says, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” And by verse 66, many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him. If they did that to Jesus, it will certainly happen to you—but be encouraged and hold the line.