Have We Over-Elevated The Office Of Pastor?

Although trained as a teacher, I felt I should respond
when a local congregation asked me to serve as their
part time assistant pastor, and later their senior pastor.

"The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ..." - Ephesians 4:11-12 (NRSV)

I found it deeply rewarding serving as a minister at Zion Mennonite near Broadway while at the same time doing part time teaching at Eastern Mennonite High School from 1965-1988. For the remainder of my adult life I've worked as a counselor at the Family Life Resource Center while serving as an unpaid pastor of a house church congregation, Family of Hope. 

Being bi-vocational has helped me identify with the many church members who give hours of their time serving in and through their congregations while being engaged with their everyday world of work and family. And in spite of the blessings associated with my pastoral role, I've realized that one of the occupational hazards of being a professional pastor is the tendency to experience an elevated and even isolated position in the congregation. Church organizational charts, congregational budgets, and even the architecture of church auditoriums further underscore the specialness of the person most visible during worship services and often looked to as the primary leader in the church.

The Greek term translated "pastor" refers to a shepherd, and occurs numerous times in the New Testament, but terms like "elder," "bishop" or "overseer" are used even more frequently to refer to congregational leaders of first century (typically house church) congregations, along with assistants referred to as "deacons." 

There was nothing of the kind of lay/clergy divide in the early Christian church that developed later and that has persisted in most congregations since. All members, whatever their gifts or roles, were a part of the "laos," referring simply to the people. Each member was charged with the care of others, that is, to "admonish those who idle, encourage the timid and help the weak,"(1)  and each participant in their gatherings was to be prepared to share "a hymn, a word of instruction, a revelation or a tongue or interpretation... for the strengthening of the church."(2) "Preaching" was a term used more often in the context of proclaiming good news to the un-evangelized rather than for an elder or overseer delivering a weekly homily for believers.

This isn't to diminish the gifts of teaching and shepherding by designated leaders appointed to give oversight to congregations, nor to suggest that some of those appointed leaders may not deserve to be financially supported in order to free them to do this or other kinds of service. But have we over-emphasized one ministry, that of pastor/teacher, above a whole array of others included in the various lists of gifts found in Paul's letters?(3) 

Feel free to comment.

(1) I Thessalonians 

(2) I Corinthians 14:26

3) Romans 12:6-8, I Corinthians 12:7-11, 28-31