Should Pastors lead Outreach By Example? This is a key question and one that seems obvious but not always adhered to. It’s not easy for most believers to be involved in outreach and evangelism. Does that mean that the busy church pastor is exempt from outreach also? Maybe it is all up to the evangelists?
Recently, Tina Waldrom interviewed Rev. Scott Hawkins from Urban Life Community. The question she asked was, “How important is it? You’ve had lots of experience with church. Is it, the pastor leading by example, the deal breaker?”
Here is Scott’s reply.
Um Well, yes, and I’m trying to think of ways of saying yes that aren’t disrespectful to other churches, but the answer is yes. Absolutely. To think that I am somehow separate from those responsibilities is ludicrous. To think that I am above those things is clearly over stating my position around the Great Banquet Table that Jesus has placed us at. It is assuming a seat above my position and I don’t want to be doing that. We need to be people that are prepared to engage at all levels.
The ministers that I love and admire the most and my heroes of the faith are people who have all gotten in there and done it themselves. Some of them have lost their lives for it. In coal face ministry, we are going to replicate that which we demonstrate, not that which we talk about, and you can preach to your blue, but all you’re going to replicate is other people who preach to their blue. If you want to see a community of people live out impact in the community and neighborhoods around them, then you need to be demonstrating that in real and practical ways as well.”
Here is the video version.
Listen to the full interview with Scott Hawkins about Leading a Church into The Community.
