What Is the Most Important Quality For a Pastor?

How would you answer that question?

Some would say that the most important quality for a pastor is that he is faithful in preaching God’s Word. This means that he stands before the congregation and faithfully declares to them what the Lord says to us through His Word. We want men that accurately teach and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Others might use a little different word. Occasionally, I’ll have younger guys asking me if I know of any churches that are hiring pastors. Since I have access to a few ministry placement sites I’ll scan through some of the ads for them. When I do, one word is almost always present: DYNAMIC. Churches today want dynamic pastors. I think that means energetic, winsome, passionate, and a host of other things–like spiky hair.

I wonder what your word is? Give it some thought…

Samuel Davies’ answer

The one word that Samuel Davies used was “piety”. He defined it as “having a firm belief of that gospel he is called to preach, and a lively sense of religion upon his own heart.”

Davies was not alone in this. I would venture to say that almost every Puritan would give a similar answer, as would Calvin and Luther. But more significantly I believe you could make a case that this would also be the answer given by the God in His Word. Note that in Acts 20:28 Paul urges the elders to “pay careful attention to yourselves” before he says anything about caring for the flock. This is what Davies and others meant by piety.

Davies noted:

It is an easy thing to make a noise in the world, to flourish and harangue, to dazzle the crowd and set them all agape; but deeply to imbibe the Spirit of Christianity, to maintain a secret walk with God, to be holy, as he is holy—this is the labor, this is the work

This passion for piety would be a filter by which every minister would work. Piety will direct a man in what to study and drive him in how he studies. Furthermore, it will “give unspeakable force to what a minister says”.

If you want a “dynamic pastor” I think what you are really saying is that you want a man that is set on fire by the living God. What you really need is a man that stands before a congregation and boldly proclaims an unadulterated gospel. What you need is a pious pastor.

If you are looking for a man that faithfully preaches God’s Word I hope that you are looking for more than a man that can faithfully exposit. I hope that what you really mean by that is a man that not only is striving to master the Word of God but a man that is mastered by the Living Word. Demons could give you a theologically accurate sermon and stand before you saying, “Thus says Yahweh”. But demons don’t tremble. You want a pastor that trembles.

Pastor’s let us pursue piety. Congregation’s let us pursue and encourage pious pastors.

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Those Samuel Davies quotes comes from Iain Murray’s phenomenal biography Revival and Revivalism.