Featured Should a pastor hold office hours at the church office?

To quote John Wesley, "The world is my parish." Folks are out in the marketplace during the day. They are at work, dropping the kids off at school or soccer practice.

If you want to see Mom and Dad you better be at the ball game on Friday night because they sure aren't going to be knocking on your office door at 10:15AM on Wednesday.

The average size of a church in the US is 150 people. There is a very realistic chance that on any given week day less than 5 folks would be around to drop in and see you in your office.

An office has its place. You need one to meet with folks to discuss private matters. You need a place to study away from the clamor at home. It is no place to bunker down for 30-40 hours a week.

 

Was your answer Yes or No? You failed to lose me in that jargon.

 

I held office hours before. It was when I was in the Marine Corps. It was called Article 15 NJP. Not very fun.

 

Is that plain enough? :laugh:

 

It's closer to my requested Yes or No.

The obvious Q now is: why are you recommending what you have never done?

 

I'm recommending pastors get out of the office and get out where the folks are. What did you think I was recommending?

 

The question was not "Whaaat?" But "Whyyy?" I don't trust anyone who recommends something he doesn't do himself.

 

Pardon me for being dense here but what the Sam Hill are you talking about? I don't have office hours, I've never had office hours, I do not advocate office hours and I do not recommend office hours. I think I've said that since the beginning of this thread and haven't said anything to the contrary. Where do you get that I am recommending something I don't do?

 

So you don't think we need office hours?

 

Haven't said anything to the contrary? Did you say this:

.....Sounds better than holding them at the nearest Buffalo Wild Wings.

"That's exactly where he should be holding them. Or at the local coffee shop, truck stop, repair shop, hardware store, or any other place where the people are." ?????

 

Straining the gnat here, Alcott. Let me rephrase my answer so there is no confusion on your part.

There are pastors that hole up in their offices under the guise of studying or administering or what ever it is they find to do for 40 hours a week and never get out where the folks are. There are churches who have an expectation that their pastor will be in that very same office just in case they want to bend the pastor's ear. Meanwhile, there is a whole world out there -without a Christian memory, background or exposure - unreached because the pastor was unreachable.

This isn't the 1940s. The pastor sequestered in the corner of the church may have been an effective model back in the day but no longer.

In some parts that could be interpreted as you calling me a liar. I'm not sure if that was your intention or not but it reason enough for me to end our conversation at this point. Feel free to prattle on.

 

Good memories, eh?

 

Yea, I wish that was all they did.

 

If the shoe fits. You said how a pastor should be holding office hours, but admit you don't do so. The L-word or the H-word-- take your pick.

 

I don't understand why you've taken such a harsh tone in replying to my posts. I have said repeatedly that a pastor should be out in the community where the folks are not hiding in the back of the church. You keep insisting that I've said the opposite.

Then you inferred I wasn't trustworthy and reiterated it again in your last post quoted above. I don't understand the problem you are having wrapping your mind around what I've written.

This topic isn't worthy of the animosity you've displayed. You have questioned my integrity. That is a serious charge to bring against someone especially when the charge is without merit.

 

Should part-time pastors of churches, which are too small to support them in full-time ministry, be required to keep office hours while working elsewhere?

I am not in the ministry, but a layman. As such, I must agree with Padre's general opinion on the subject.