What is most lacking in the administration of the Pastor to the local church.

What is most lacking in the administration of the Pastor to the local church in my opinion is mentorship. Some Pastors have so much to do that they don't realize they need to mentor and train successors. In order for the work of the Body of Christ to continue, leaders must realize that other generations are coming behind them that need to be taught. Even though Moses was a great leader, he had to teach and train Joshua to succeed after him because one day his tenure would come to an end. The bible says in Joshua 1, Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. Moses had to leave off the scene because no one exists on earth forever, there must be someone to carry the baton and take on the responsibilities as leader. Moses not only taught Joshua, but he lived a pleasing life in front of him; therefore, showing him how to live an exemplary life pleasing to God.

Joshua proved himself to be a good successor. Joshua was loyal to Moses during the desert wanderings and courageous in the conquest of the Promised Land. He began as Moses' aide, demonstrating faith and military skills while leading Israel's troops. He was one of the 12 spies who explored Canaan and brought back a positive report of the land. Joshua accompanied Moses on various occasions, including part of the journey to Mount Sinai, where God gave the Ten Commandments. Joshua also spent time in the Tabernacle, where God spoke face to face with Moses. Because Joshua received good training from Moses, Joshua was
complete and equipped for every good work, as stated in 2 Timothy 3:17.

Ms. Paula, I could not agree with you more concerning Pastors investing more time to be mentors to his or her congregation. When a Pastor is first called into his or her ministry they train and equip themselves to become more like the ministry gift bestowed upon them. After the training they are released into ministry and are excited, especially the first flock given to them to Shepherd and lead. They find out very quickly, as you mentioned, the Pastor has so much to do that they do not realize they need to mentor and train successors. Looking from the perspective of a Pastor new to the ministry, they are more than likely not focused on successors but should be.... anyone in ministry leadership position should be relational and spiritually grounded enough to meet people where they are in their walk, while helping them grow into their God-given potential. Just as you mentioned one of the greatest examples from the Old Testament concerning Joshua becoming the successor of Moses! The Holy Spirit was in action by leading Moses to empower Joshua to lead and grow into the confident successor him became! On the eve of Moses's death, he asked God to provide a successor to lead the people after his demise. Numbers 27:16,17 God directed him to Joshua, whom He had already been preparing for many years. God's spirit was with him! Thank you for taking us on the journey of the mentorship of Moses / Joshua and the succession of Moses! Beautiful! Amen. Hope

Oh my goodness you hit the nail on the head Paula regarding the lack of mentorship needed in the church. I have seen churches here in Iowa where the pastor was in his early 90's and in a wheelchair unwilling to pass the baton to allow the next generation to lead. Perhaps this was not shown to this leader but I also would hope that God would have provided the discernment as to the need to mentor younger pastors. Even with the story of Elijah and Elisha in 2 Kings 2:2 Elisha knew he needed to be taught and mentored and was determined not to leave Elijah's side. There are young pastors in the local church eager to learn and be mentored as well but it is up to the more senior pastor to do so. It does take a level a trust but God will lead the way if we allow Him to.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree mentorship is vital to a successful function of the ministry. I also believe that it works both ways simultaneously. Pastors need to be mentored and they also should be mentoring the next set of leaders that God has called.