How to Properly Sit UNDER Your Pastor as an In-House Minister.

Hebrews 13:17 King James Version (KJV)

17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

Yes, this verse is for other pastors and ministry leaders who are under a local pastor. Note: Everyone should have a spiritual leader over them in the Lord.

Sit down and Sit under

There seems to be a lack of proper protocol, respect, and honor in the Body of Christ these days. Too many insecure people are getting into the ministry without being properly trained on how to ACT or conduct themselves. They seem to have no wisdom or intelligence on how to sit under another pastor without having bad motives, hidden agendas, and simple respect.

Ministers, when you come into a ministry with your "credentials" (pastored before, been to Bible College, traveled as an evangelist, might start a church one day, or whatever) you need to understand that you are now UNDER another pastor. God has called your new pastor to that congregation to lead it and feed it. You are now a part of the congregation. You are not equal with the pastor, neither should you be thinking you have special privileges because of your accomplishments. You need to learn respect. That means you come in to sit down and sit under. This means you are not looking or WAITING for an opportunity to preach. The pastor is the teacher. He is ordained of God to feed that congregation. You are there to LEARN not preach. So stop getting mad and impatient. You might not EVER preach and you should be ok with that. By the way, if you're called to preach then go to those streets and preach the gospel and get people saved and bring them back to the church so your pastor can continue to feed them! Preachers are always waiting on opportunities to preach inside church buildings with already made congregations, instead of taking their butts to lost people in neighborhoods and homes to preach.

Okay back to this...

Proper honor is to come in with the mentality that, "this is my pastor now and I'm here to learn and submit under his/her authority". I'm here to serve (with no strings attached or any thoughts of "getting an opportunity"). You don't come in telling the pastor and everyone in the congregation that you used to pastor and you went to Bible College, and you are anointed for this and that. That's disrespectful! You also shouldn't want people in the congregation to call you by your title. You are just like everyone else. You're not the big shot in the congregation. The respectful thing to do is to keep your mouth closed about your "credentials" and your little "title".

When you come in to use your new pastor's platform for your agenda you are out of order. You shouldn't be going around prophelying to other members, having secret conversations with members about who you are and what you can do for them, and making sure you keep your title out front so everyone knows.

Never make your new pastor feel obligated to let you preach or call you by your title. Stop being nice just to manipulate. You should make sure everyone calls you by your NAME. You should be calling your pastor by his title!

So sit down and sit under. Clean the restrooms, greet, usher, and give. You are there to serve your pastor not be served. You are there to learn from him or her. You are there to make friends with the members (without trying to preach to them every chance you get). You are there to bring other people to the church so YOUR PASTOR CAN TEACH THEM.

If the pastor allows you to preach or lead in any capacity then do it from a pure heart and not an insecure heart.

Never assume you will be a teaching pastor, an associate pastor, or anything. Just attend the church, submit to the leader, respect the leader, serve, give, tithe, be friendly, and never tell others that you will someday start your own church. That's idiotic and disrespectful!

As I end, also stop thinking spiritual leaders are holding you back and are intimidated by you or jealous of you. No, when you're disrespectful, they are cautious of your wolf-like tendencies.

Doc Murphy