On Being An "Uncool Pastor"

 I've been called a lot of things over the years.  Some of them not even repeatable in polite company.  Yet, some of them have been complimentary.  Then there are those compliments that may not seem like compliments. 

A few days ago, a wonderful person from our church posted an article on social media, tagging me, with an introduction which said:  "Thanks for being an uncool pastor, Scott Weldon."  

Again, I've been called a lot of things, but this one took me a second.  Then I read the article.  Is was a post from John Cooper, founder/singer/bassist for Christian Rock's mega star band Skillet.  In case you haven't heard, Mr. Cooper has been saying a lot of really good things recently.  He even has a book coming out that has been endorsed by none other than James R. White.  Never would have thought to put those two together.

Anyway, the post basically says pastors shouldn't be looking to be rock stars (a bit ironic coming from, you know, a rock star).  It bemoans the celebrity pastor epidemic in the Church, instead longing for those pastors who simply teach God's Word faithfully, ministering to the church in happy anonymity.  It's a great article.  I hope Mr. Cooper doesn't mind me re-posting it here.  It's worth your time to read.

And, while I don't think I always measure up, I'm grateful that someone out there thinks I'm an uncool pastor.

Make Pastors Uncool Again, by John Cooper

Pastors shouldn’t be rock stars. Yeah I said it. A rock star promotes himself, builds his brand, and entertains people. It’s his job. A pastor is supposed to lay his life down for his sheep. He serves, he protects, and he equips the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12). So why does it seem like many of our celebrity pastors are obsessively self-promoting, building their own brands, and protecting themselves by never preaching or teaching anything that would put them in Twitter prison? Yes, it’s sad and devastating to watch our leaders fall into sin, but when the foundation is built so poorly it shouldn’t be all that surprising. 

 

Many Christians have been saying this for years and its past time that I join them: I’m tired of celebrity pastors. Pastors aren’t supposed to be cool. They’re not supposed to be fashion trend setters. We are ALL called to decrease, that Christ would increase both in our hearts and in our lives (John 3:30). HIS fame should be known, not OURS. Celebrity Pastors, get out of the way! You’re hogging the spotlight by making yourself the story. Instead, you should be taking some hits on the front lines by stating clearly what God commands. Celebrity pastors seldom do this. Instead, most of what we hear is rhetorical gobbledygook, veiled mysticism, and repackaged new-age movement self-help promotional material disguised as the work of the Spirit. 

 

My pastor helped change my life in college. “Really, who?” Exactly. He remains faceless, nameless, and will never get the adoration of the world because his desire was for Jesus to have all of the glory. He taught me how to read and understand the Bible. He took my midnight phone calls, he instigated the necessary but uncomfortable conversations, he taught me the importance of sexual purity, and he even taught me how to paint a house and balance a checkbook. It almost sounds more like being a father, doesn’t it? Working, serving, teaching your kids and never expecting a “thank you” or a hand clap is what pastoring is all about. 

 

Pastors, I am thankful for you. Many are serving faithfully and you will be rewarded by God. But for the pastors who are receiving their reward on earth, I have a request for you: please stop looking for adoration from the world. We don’t need you to look “awesome”, we need you to be fearless and preach the gospel according to the unchanging, authoritative Word of God. Stop finding clever ways to evade questions. You know the ones—God’s commands about sexual morality, Gods authority structure in the Church and at home, biblical justice instead of the religion of modern social justice. Answer them. And answer them clearly for heaven’s sake. Please stop trying to find new ways to explain the perceived inconvenient truths of God’s Word. You ought to love what He loves and hate what he hates. This used to be a prerequisite for church leadership. Today, its deemed radical and even bigoted.

 

Play time is over. The spiritual battle is raging, and the field is full of wimps and boys who have never picked up a sword because it just “feels mean.” We need generals and leaders who don’t care about their brand, their look, their “likes”, or making allegiances with the world. In short, it’s time to make pastors uncool again.