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| Rev. Judge W. Otis Higgs, Jr. |
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The Pastor
Paul's epistle to the Ephesians tells us that some are given to be pastors. Here I show how by looking to the Holy Spirit we can discover in scripture exactly what the role and job of the pastor is. The meaning of the Greek word we translate as pastor is shepherd. The job title pastor, therefore, refers to a spiritual shepherd. (See Ephesians 4:11) In this way, Jesus is referred to as the great Shepherd of the sheep. (Hebrews 13:20) He is the role model for all of God's pastors. Jesus is the great Shepherd and all of His pastors are the lesser shepherds. By looking at how Jesus shepherds the sheep, we can see how a pastor should shepherd the flock of God - God's people.
In Paul's letter to the Ephesians, we learn that the office of pastor (spiritual shepherd) is one of the offices that contributes to the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry for the building up of the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11) In the same letter, we learn some important aspects of how Jesus Christ carries out his role as the great Shepherd. Paul writes, "Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church." Ephesians 5:27-29 - NKJV
This exhortation, although it is directly applied to husbands, also applies to pastors and exhorts them to follow the model Christ provides. Christ is the great Shepherd of the Church, the husband is the shepherd for his wife and, likewise, the pastor is the shepherd for his flock in the church. The pastor is to give his life for the flock in ministering the Holy Spirit and the Word to them. He is to nourish and cherish (that is, tenderly look after) his church. The role of pastor - it is important to recognize - is not peculiar to the New Testament church. We see it also in the Old Testament church of God. God had high expectations, even back then, of His pastors and He upbraided them when they did not fulfill those expectations. As the mouth piece of God Jeremiah declares, "For the shepherds [of the people] have become like brutes, irrational and stupid, and have not sought the Lord or inquired of Him or required Him [by necessity and by right of His word]. Therefore they have not dealt prudently and have not prospered, and all their flocks are scattered." Jeremiah 10:21 - Amplified Bible
God clearly expects a lot of His pastors, but He doesn't leave them to do it on their own in their own strength and sufficiency. (Phil.4:13; 2 Cor.3:4-6) In Jeremiah, God gives a wonderful prophecy, "I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge (of God) and understanding (of His ways)." Jeremiah 3:15 - NKJV
Good structure and order in your church has to be established in four realms:
- Governance - Formation and adoption of policies, frameworks, and plans
- Management - Setting up leadership and oversight structures and establishing the style and ethos they are to have
- Foundation of faith - Establishing a basic statement of faith which summarises the essential beliefs
- Finances - Setting up auditable, robust accounting and a sustainable, equitable budget that leaves nothing out.
Brief Profile
Pastor & Judge W. Otis Higgs, Jr. currently serves as the pastor of Collins Chapel CME Memphis. He is the Judge of Division II of the Criminal Courts of Shelby County. Rev. Higgs serves as the Criminal and Social Justice Coordinator for the Northwest District of the CME Church.
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| Mrs. Diane Bradley Higgs |
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The Pastor's Wife
Regarding the Pastor's Wife, if the Lord calls a man into the ministry, He calls the whole man, and that includes the man's wife and his family.
The Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 3 gives us the qualifications of a "bishop" or what we call a pastor, and in verse 4 we see the following: "one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence." "Rules well" is an idiom for being a biblical husband with a submissive wife and children that love and respect him. The pastor, who is the head of his home, will be more successful as a leader in the church, and of course this means that his wife is his helper in the ministry of the home as well as the church. The ministry is a partnership in all areas of life and not just in the home life.
The wife does not do the work of the pastor, but the pastor and his wife are a team who are yoked together to do God's work. Too few recognize the reality of this and want to put the pastor's wife in a box and relegate her to keeping the home fires burning and prayer support for her husband. That certainly is her responsibility, but quite often the pastor's wife has gifts that can and should be used in the ministry. On the other hand, there are women whose husbands are pastors and they see it as "his" ministry and do not enter in to the work in any way. There should be a good balance between these two ideas with the goal of bringing glory to God in all things. An active, outgoing pastor's wife is a valuable asset to any church in today's climate of apathy to the things of God.
Brief Profile
Diane Bradley Higgs is the proud wife of Rev. Higgs and First Lady of Collins Chapel CME Church. She began teaching Sunday School at the age of 13! And has been an avid biblical scholar ever since. Currently, she is putting her entrepreneurial skills to the test with her new business, Embellir (um-bee-leer), a retail store that provides natural and organic health and personal care products. She serves as the Technology Director for Collins Chapel; and she also serves as Secretary for the West Tennessee Region Ministers' Spouses Department of the CME Church.
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There is no God like the God we serve; He is God and God alone. Please join us at Collins for a truly spiritual worship service." --Pastor & Mrs. Higgs
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