Received an email from the Baptist Union of Scotland yesterday requesting that we announce an event in Glasgow for those interested in pastoral ministry. It seems there is a dire shortage of pastors in BUS churches. Why is this? This should be the most desirable of work. Work of the highest calling. The ultimate vocation
Does the BUS not consider that perhaps the form of leadership in Baptist churches might be unscriptural, that congregational government might be part of the problem. Where in scripture do the shepherds hand over the decision making process to the sheep? Before there can be any improvement in numbers of men coming into ministry perhaps they had better look at this problem. This is where a lot of problems surface, a lot of personalities clash where the focus is off Christ and on the problem whatever it is, where egos are massaged and groups form..... in the church meetings.

This problem of indiscipline runs right through Baptist life and yes you can have peaceful meetings, once those that have had enough have left to wander and only those that agree with one another are left. Then everybody is so anxious to agree with one another because they are the only one's left that they make bad decisions.

Elders should make decisions pertaining to the spiritual life of the Church. The BUS should produce clear guidelines as to what constitutes good scripturaly informed church government, so that the average life of a pastor in office extends beyond the current four years. Then pastors might not face burn out. Pastors should free to pastor the congregation, supported by a team of worshipful Elders and which is..in turn supported by some cracking good Deacons. Incidentally looking through the bible I see Elders/Pastors, I see Deacons, I see a treasurer ( Judas ) but I don't see a secretary, yet this role is second only to the Pastor in Baptist thinking.

Come to think of it I don't see a vacancy committee in scripture either! Can six people drive a car at the same time?