The new contextualized pastor

A pandemic changed pastoring. We know that John Bunyan pastored during the bubonic plague in England, and God used him in a way that Bunyan never could have imagined. A man who was preaching boldly in the streets of England found himself sitting in a jail cell being still. God gave him many stories to write, one that would become the best-selling book next to the Bible, The Pilgrim’s Progress. God had a great legacy for Bunyan in the midst of a great change.

Right now, there are over 300,000 Protestant churches in America. In a time of great stress, God is calling pastors to become creative, compelling leaders to lead the change through change. What will this new emerging leader look like for the church … and how can he have a legacy of leading differently?

1. Contextualized leadership

This new pastor will have to understand the issue of contextualized leadership. The Bible speaks to character and theology for church leaders; however, it does not speak to a changing context. That is for the leader to figure out. Not all leaders will be gifted or qualified to be the next leader for this generation. They will have to become highly effective at the skills of creativity and adjusting.

2. Contextualized energy

This new pastor must have a substantial acquired amount of energy to lead through the cultural pushback. In the past, Christianity was highly accepted by most, but today Christianity is secondary in media, public schools, universities and homes. This leader will need a strong understanding of apologetics and be willing to stand in the face of opposition. We are no longer living in crafty quotes and light shows but an apologetic arena to stand in the face of the enemy. Some older pastors will not have the energy to do this after living through an elongated period of pastoring boomer churches.

3. Contextualized mission

This new pastor should have a missional mindset. They will have to find new practical solutions to fit the context. Some of these solutions have not been discovered yet. Leaders will need to have inherent or acquired strategic thinking to process through the fast changes and swift actions in society, as well as the ability to think on their feet. The apostle Paul demonstrated this at Mars Hill. When a question arose, he responded to the sociological and the theological implications with balance, boldness and a blessing.

4. Contextualized growth

This new pastor is a visionary who builds a missional campus strategy, coaches other churches and trains tactical leaders on the coming and emerging models. He will have to think through options for merging with other churches, including multi-site, adoption and/or fostering. Fostering will be the next significant move of the upcoming leaders as churches struggle to keep the footprint they once had.

We are about to see a significant shift toward this new leader and a change among the landscape of churches. The picture is clear, but now it is time get ready for how God is going to use you, pastor. 

Gary Mortiz serves as the church revitalization director at the Baptist Convention of New England.