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I faced a new dilemma the other day. For the first time since entering training college, I witnessed the challenges that come with pastoring and employing the same person. The pastor role is to take spiritual care of its flock, journeying alongside people. An employer works with oversees someone’s job performance. Often in The Salvation Army, these two roles collide. Sometimes, tough decisions need to be made in regards to work ethic or suitability for a position. As the employer, you want to run an effective organization, exhibiting great stewardship over your resources. As a pastor, you don’t want to run over people, you want to bring people up. So how do you deal with inefficient staff members that attend your corps? How do you challenge people to pick things up without lording your authority over them? How do you make needed changes without destroying the personal lives of people just holding on financially?

I have not come up with any practical guidelines that offer a succinct methodology, however I am establishing some excellent theology. It seems to me that in Matthew chapter 18, lies part of the answer. We have the story of the lost sheep in verses 11-14. Jesus is revealing the ends to which he would go to save even one lost sheep. There is nothing that would separate a willing individual from the love of God. This love story between God and his people is promptly followed by a description of discipline within the church. It explains the process of speaking directly to an individual with whom there is an offence. If there is no resolution, the party is then brought into the presence of two or three witnesses, followed by the entire body of believers. If there is no admittance of wrongdoing and efforts towards change, the offender is asked to leave the church.

It seems to me that these two stories are placed together very deliberately. I believe that there is a direct correlation in that yes, we discipline our own, but do so with the heart of a shepherd. Every step of the discipline process should reflect a desire to bring the offender into reconciliation with God and their fellow believers, including putting them out of the corps. The body should always be of a mindset to receive a sheep back into the fold if things should change. The shepherd’s heart should be the motivation throughout all disciplinary actions. Although sin offences and ineffective business practices are not exactly on par, I believe that the shepherd’s heart should always lead the way.

Posted by Michelle Elsasser