Recently I met a teacher in the church. In the process of talking with him, I learned that he may have suffered an injustice and I felt sorry for him.
The teacher was full of spirit and energy, a vibrant man. We talked about many topics. From talking with him, I could see that his theology was quite orthodox, and he still clung faithfully to what he had learned at his seminary. He was knowledgeable in his field. For instance, he knew famous figures in philosophy and theology, such as Aristotle and Plato, and the early church fathers. He also seemed to know church history like the back of his hand. In him, one could see two great qualities: one was his mastery of theological knowledge; and the other his unchanging perseverance and faithfulness in the pursuit of God's truth in his character.
In addition, one detail caught my attention during our talk. When we came to the topic of the Trinity, he gave a solemn look and kept waving his hands in the air. That look blended in harmony with the movement of his hands portrayed exactly the demeanor of a pastor – what an enjoyable lecture he gave! His demeanor had clearly been formed through his long-term dedication to delivering sermons. Unfortunately, he was not an ordained pastor yet.
The teacher graduated from Nanjing Union Theological Seminary in 1997 and it had been 23 years since his graduation. I was shocked to know that he had not been ordained because many theological students who graduated much later than him had been ordained for many years already. So why had he not been ordained? What was the reason for this? That was really confusing to me. Because it was not a simple matter and one could not believe what was said by just talking to one person, so I did not carry out an in-depth inquiry on my questions. However, using this teacher as a case study, let’s have a brief discussion on how pastors are ordained.
The Bible says, "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up." (Ephesians 4: 11-12) Although these two verses are the only ones in the Bible that use the term “pastor,” the meaning is substantial. In today’s church, no one really deserves or uses the term of apostle or prophet, including those who claim the title for themselves. However, there are many pastors today, and it is a holy position that is widely recognized. From these two Bible verses, we learn that the Church does need to have pastors and teachers for the body of Christ to be established.
Being a pastor is no doubt a gift from God. According to categories that John Calvin's gave, ordained pastors or overseers fall into three categories: one who is called solely by God himself, such as the Apostle Paul; one who is called by God through other people; and one who is voted on by the congregation. However, in the present-day Church, pastors are not personally called by God; most of them belong to the second category. The third category is also rare. The vote has to be presided over by third-party pastors other than the ones who have applied to be ordained.
Since God calls a pastor through other people, it is inevitable that the process can become and the sinful nature of man can be observed. This results in two different experiences in the ordaining of a pastor. One is that the right person isn’t ordained due to the bias of the person who has the authority to ordain a pastor. The other one is the wrong person is ordained due to the nepotism of the person who is authorized to ordain a pastor. This is the current status quo of the ordination process. The status quo is not based on studies, but on the observation of many pastors' sermon qualities and their self-conduct. It is these two phenomena that have become blemishes in ordaining a pastor.
According to the 2018 State White Paper on Chinese Religion, the number of Christians has reached more than 38 million. This message suggests two things: one is that the ratio of Christians to the total population of 1.4 billion is negligible. In other words, Christianity is not as large as some claim, and still very much in the minority. The other is that if Christians are carried away with their own proclamations of success, intoxicated with feeling good about themselves, and if they do not carry out down-to-earth reforms, they may be forgotten, and even mocked and ridiculed by the world.
At a time when the Church is becoming increasingly secular, the "pastor" has become more of an official than a pastor, especially the senior pastor of a church. They involve themselves in official business and the church is simply the home where they carry out administrative duties. The pastor becomes merely the boss of a church. It is said that the money, power and property of a certain large church are totally in the hands of the pastor’s family. The Church has become a "family business". Although it is a rumor, it reflects the severity and danger of the secularization and corruption of the Church.
Secularization and corruption are tempting some people to pursue a theological degree and a position in the Church. No matter if they are interested in a theological degree or the priesthood, they pursue them not for the faith and truth, but to be in charge of the tiny circle of the Church. All the spiritual teachings are for the others.
Regarding the position of a pastor, Peter said, "Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away." (1 Peter 5: 2 – 4)
This passage is both an exhortation and a basic standard that a pastor should reach. If we find that a pastor lacks this standard, even if only one item of the list, we can say that the pastor is compatible with the title. If the Church wants to develop and grow, it must also establish pastors according to this standard.
Therefore, in ordaining pastors, this requires the Church and even the entire Christian community to have common standards and regulations. Ordain those who should be ordained and give a definite no to those who are not to be ordained. No crooked ways or nepotism should ever be found in ordaining a pastor, and it should be dealt with case by case with zero tolerance for corruption. In short, for the Church to grow and develop in a healthy manner, the priority should be to get rid of the two blemishes in ordaining pastors.
- Translated by Charlie Li
观察与反思丨教会按立牧师，何时能摆脱这两种遗憾？
最近认识了一位教会的教士，在彼此的交流中，心头却在不知不觉之间升起一股子为其不平的情绪。
这位教士看上去精神饱满，很是健谈。在彼此的交流中，虽然是东一句西一句的，但却从中可以见出他对教义的理解是比较传统的，依然固守着神学院学到的那些神学知识。对神学与哲学上的那些著名人物，如主前三世纪的希腊哲学家亚里士多德、主前四世纪的希腊哲学家柏拉图，以及一些古代教父等都是比较熟悉的，对教会的历史也是了如指掌的。显然，在他身上可以看到散发出的两种潜能，一个是掌握一定的神学知识，一个是在追求神的真理上的初心不改与执著。
在与这位教士的交流中有这么一个细节。他在对我谈论三位一体的道理时，眉目间闪动着一种庄重的神情，而且不停地用手比划着。这种神情与比划的动作圆融得体而和谐，整体看上去简直就是一位牧师的风范。这种风范，显然是因为他长期讲道而形成的一种习惯。遗憾的是，他并不是牧师，仅仅是一位教士而已。
这位教士1997年毕业于南京金陵协和神学院，至今已经23年。毕业23年了居然没有被按立为牧师，这实在是出乎我的预料。因为，很多晚于这位教士毕业的神学生早已经被按立很多年了，为什么偏偏遗漏了这位教士？这个中的原因究竟是什么，有着怎样的复杂性与蹊跷性，实在令人扑朔迷离。因为此事事关重大，不能只听一人之词就可以相信的。所以，笔者并没有对此进行深入的追问。不过通过这一现象，我们不防对按立牧师一事进行一次简单的探讨。
圣经说：“他所赐的有使徒，有先知，有传福音的，有牧师和教师。为要成全圣徒，各尽其职，建立基督的身体。”（弗4:11—12）在整部圣经中提到牧师这一称谓，虽然是唯一的一次，但其意义是不能小看的。在当代的教会，能够称得上使徒和先知的，除了自我标榜的之外，还真的没有谁能够与之相称。但牧师却是随处可见的，也是信众都认可的一个圣职。从这段经文来看，建立基督的身体，也就是建立教会不能少的一个先决条件，就是必须首先确立牧师和教师。
一个人能够成为牧师，这无疑都是神的恩赐。但按照改教家加尔文的分析，按立牧师或者监督分为三种：一个是由神亲自蒙召的，如保罗等；一个是由神籍着人选召的；一个是信众投票选召的。但在当下教会，没有谁是神亲自蒙召的牧师，都是属于第二种，都是神籍着人选召的。而第三种选召，在当下教会是很少存在的，别的牧师应当主持选举。
既然是神籍着人蒙召牧师，那么人的复杂性以及罪性自然也就难以避免地被揉入进牧师的按立上。这就造成了在按立牧师上的两种现象，一个是该按立的由于按立者的个人偏见，而失去该按立者的按立资格。一个是不该按立的却由于与按立者的各种关系的牵连而被按立。这就是当下按立牧师的现状。这个现状，不是统计来的，而是从牧师的讲道水平与行事为人中考量出来的。而正是这两种现象，成为按立牧师上的两种遗憾。
按照2018年国家对外公布的《中国宗教白皮书》显示，基督教人数已经达到3800多万人。这个信息提示我们两点：一个是3800万与14亿之比是微不足道的。也就是说，基督教并不是像某些人宣称的那样规模庞大，而是依然处在社会的边缘地带。一个是基督教如果依然故步自封，陶醉在自我感觉良好上，不去进行脚踏实地的改革，随时都会走向被人遗忘的角落，甚至会遭到世人的鄙夷和嘲弄。
我们应该看到，在教会越来越世俗化的当下，“牧师”已经成为一种官职，尤其是教会的主任牧师，官气逼人，教会就是他的家，牧师就是教会的老大。据传，某个大型教会的财权物都掌握在家族人的手里，教会已经变成一个“家族企业”，尽管这是传说，但也反映出教会世俗化和腐败化倾向的严重性与危险性。
恰似这种世俗化和腐败化倾向，正在诱惑着一些人在追求神学文凭与教会的圣职。读神学也好，做圣职也罢，不是为了信仰，不是为了追求真理，而是为了在教会这个小圈子里要风得风，要雨得雨，一切属灵的话语都是说给别人的。
彼得对牧师说过这么一句话：“务要牧养在你们中间神的群羊，按照神的旨意照管他们。不是出于勉强，乃是出于甘心。也不是因为贪财，乃是出于乐意。也不是辖制所托付你们的，乃是作群羊的榜样。到了牧长显现的时候，你们必得那永不衰残的荣耀冠冕。”（彼前5:2—4）
这段话，既是对牧师的一种劝勉，也是牧师应该做到的一个基本标准。如果我们发现某个牧师缺少了这个标准，哪怕是却少了一项，就可以说这个牧师是不称职的一个牧师。教会若想发展和复兴，也必须按照这个标准来按立牧师。
这就需要教会甚至整个基督教界在按立牧师上，确立一个共同的按立标准和规章，应该按立的就必须按立，不应该按立的就必须坚决抵制。在按立牧师上绝不能搞歪门邪道，请客送礼之类的事情，如发现一例就应该处理一例，进行零容忍。总之，教会要健康正常的发展和壮大，首当其冲的就应该尽快摆脱在牧师按立上的这两种遗憾。
Recently I met a teacher in the church. In the process of talking with him, I learned that he may have suffered an injustice and I felt sorry for him.
The teacher was full of spirit and energy, a vibrant man. We talked about many topics. From talking with him, I could see that his theology was quite orthodox, and he still clung faithfully to what he had learned at his seminary. He was knowledgeable in his field. For instance, he knew famous figures in philosophy and theology, such as Aristotle and Plato, and the early church fathers. He also seemed to know church history like the back of his hand. In him, one could see two great qualities: one was his mastery of theological knowledge; and the other his unchanging perseverance and faithfulness in the pursuit of God's truth in his character.
In addition, one detail caught my attention during our talk. When we came to the topic of the Trinity, he gave a solemn look and kept waving his hands in the air. That look blended in harmony with the movement of his hands portrayed exactly the demeanor of a pastor – what an enjoyable lecture he gave! His demeanor had clearly been formed through his long-term dedication to delivering sermons. Unfortunately, he was not an ordained pastor yet.
The teacher graduated from Nanjing Union Theological Seminary in 1997 and it had been 23 years since his graduation. I was shocked to know that he had not been ordained because many theological students who graduated much later than him had been ordained for many years already. So why had he not been ordained? What was the reason for this? That was really confusing to me. Because it was not a simple matter and one could not believe what was said by just talking to one person, so I did not carry out an in-depth inquiry on my questions. However, using this teacher as a case study, let’s have a brief discussion on how pastors are ordained.
The Bible says, "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up." (Ephesians 4: 11-12) Although these two verses are the only ones in the Bible that use the term “pastor,” the meaning is substantial. In today’s church, no one really deserves or uses the term of apostle or prophet, including those who claim the title for themselves. However, there are many pastors today, and it is a holy position that is widely recognized. From these two Bible verses, we learn that the Church does need to have pastors and teachers for the body of Christ to be established.
Being a pastor is no doubt a gift from God. According to categories that John Calvin's gave, ordained pastors or overseers fall into three categories: one who is called solely by God himself, such as the Apostle Paul; one who is called by God through other people; and one who is voted on by the congregation. However, in the present-day Church, pastors are not personally called by God; most of them belong to the second category. The third category is also rare. The vote has to be presided over by third-party pastors other than the ones who have applied to be ordained.
Since God calls a pastor through other people, it is inevitable that the process can become and the sinful nature of man can be observed. This results in two different experiences in the ordaining of a pastor. One is that the right person isn’t ordained due to the bias of the person who has the authority to ordain a pastor. The other one is the wrong person is ordained due to the nepotism of the person who is authorized to ordain a pastor. This is the current status quo of the ordination process. The status quo is not based on studies, but on the observation of many pastors' sermon qualities and their self-conduct. It is these two phenomena that have become blemishes in ordaining a pastor.
According to the 2018 State White Paper on Chinese Religion, the number of Christians has reached more than 38 million. This message suggests two things: one is that the ratio of Christians to the total population of 1.4 billion is negligible. In other words, Christianity is not as large as some claim, and still very much in the minority. The other is that if Christians are carried away with their own proclamations of success, intoxicated with feeling good about themselves, and if they do not carry out down-to-earth reforms, they may be forgotten, and even mocked and ridiculed by the world.
At a time when the Church is becoming increasingly secular, the "pastor" has become more of an official than a pastor, especially the senior pastor of a church. They involve themselves in official business and the church is simply the home where they carry out administrative duties. The pastor becomes merely the boss of a church. It is said that the money, power and property of a certain large church are totally in the hands of the pastor’s family. The Church has become a "family business". Although it is a rumor, it reflects the severity and danger of the secularization and corruption of the Church.
Secularization and corruption are tempting some people to pursue a theological degree and a position in the Church. No matter if they are interested in a theological degree or the priesthood, they pursue them not for the faith and truth, but to be in charge of the tiny circle of the Church. All the spiritual teachings are for the others.
Regarding the position of a pastor, Peter said, "Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away." (1 Peter 5: 2 – 4)
This passage is both an exhortation and a basic standard that a pastor should reach. If we find that a pastor lacks this standard, even if only one item of the list, we can say that the pastor is compatible with the title. If the Church wants to develop and grow, it must also establish pastors according to this standard.
Therefore, in ordaining pastors, this requires the Church and even the entire Christian community to have common standards and regulations. Ordain those who should be ordained and give a definite no to those who are not to be ordained. No crooked ways or nepotism should ever be found in ordaining a pastor, and it should be dealt with case by case with zero tolerance for corruption. In short, for the Church to grow and develop in a healthy manner, the priority should be to get rid of the two blemishes in ordaining pastors.
- Translated by Charlie Li
When Church Ordains Pastor, When can It Avoid Two Blemishes?
