Dear Theo,
I missed your response earlier.
I am wondering if there is a denominational divide where the more sacramentally-oriented a church is (and thus the view might be that the chief role of a minister is to offer the sacraments), the greater the possibility might be that ministers might not feel that they have to know the people.
may be an even more fundamental factor than the relative role of the sacraments, with the congregational model affording shepherds more significant contact with the sheep than the episcopal model, in which, as one moves up the hierarchy, each successive "flock" becomes a smaller subset of the leadership, necessarily more distant from the laity. If the priest--or bishop, archbishop, cardinal--has any motivation to "move up the ladder", it could tend to focus his energies on serving his own shepherds rather than his sheep. Since sacerdotal terminology--ie priest--is used, I think, only on the episcopal side, in conjunction with primary emphasis on the sacramental office, your observation about sacramental centrality would tend to hold true as well. I am not knowledgable enough about the presbyterian model to see how it fits in, but I think the general formula often holds:
(meaningful contact between laity and leadership)
is inversely proportional to
(levels of hierarchy) times (ratio of sheep to shepherds)
But then again, maybe I am too overtly prejudiced in favor of small-church congregationalism to be objective!
My personal view, frankly, is that if a man does NOT have the spiritual gifts needed to reach out to his congregants in love, he should not be in the ministry.
Well said! And those spiritual gifts are not directly correlated with a limited number of personality types. The Touchstone comments placed way too much emphasis on introvert v. extrovert, sanguine v. melancholy. My 2 elders are cut from very different personality cloths, but both are unashamed to speak a word in season, listen to concerns, lend a hand, and graciously receive assistance, and that's what really matters. And along the way, the congregation sees, and imitates them, and the body is edified.
I thought of a couple more glimpses of Paul's attitude:
2 Corinthians 2:4 I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. (ESV)
Acts 20:18 "You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials ... 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house ... 27 I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. ... 31Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. ... 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" 36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship. (ESV)
Acts 28: 30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. (ESV)
Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (ESV)
In light of this, how can a pastor want to distance himself from his flock?
