Three Voices

It appears to me that a lead pastor of a local church is required to speak to his church in three different voices. These voices are equally important. The pastor doesn't have to be equally eloquent in the excercise of the three voices, but he really has to be exceptional in at least one of them.

The first voice a pastor must use is the Pastoral voice. This involves the shepherding role of a pastor, where the pastor displays his love and care for the flock that has been entrusted to him. Visits, cards, calls, polite chats, weddings and funerals are the languages used with this voice. It has been said that no one cares what you know until they know that you care. The pastoral voice builds love and trust between him and his flock. Those times spent just being there for someone or showing appreciation for someone's service or life create a relationship which can withstand rocky times later on. A pastor ignores this voice at his own peril. The pastor who attempts to introduce changes based solely on his position of spiritual authority will find opposition out of proportion to the changes proposed. It is beyond critical for a pastor to put a great deal of time in developing the pastoral voice in his ministry.

The second voice a pastor must use is the Prophetic voice. This is the voice used for vision casting and establishing direction for a local congregation. No organism or organization can remain static. It is constantly growing or dying. The pastor must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading for a local church. Its reason for existing must be under constant evaluation and as it is discerned, it must be explained to the church. When the pastor is well-versed in the pastoral voice, his congregation will be ready to listen to the prophetic voice. If they know the heart of their pastor they will be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt even if they don't understand the direction the prophetic voice. The pastor who is equally versed in the pastoral and prophetic voice will be able to discern how quickly to move in the prophetic voice. He realizes that it may be prudent to wait until the message has a chance to penetrate before moving forward.

The third voice is the Preaching voice. This is the voice most people think of when they think of a pastor because it is the most visible of the voices. The church shares equally in the preached word, hearing it at the same time as the other members. Since pastors many times are rated by their preaching ability, it is assumed that this voice is the most important of the three voices. But without the relationship formed by the pastoral voice, the preaching voice just becomes a weekly event without bringing about any life change. Without the prophetic voice tying the weekly messages into a consistent direction, each week is an event unto itself, and there is no sense of moving together to a goal.

Each is interrelated and equally important and must be constantly improved if the pastor is to "prepare the saints for acts of service".