"It Still Starts in the Pulpit"
Why Pastors Must Engage the Church in Redemptive, Same Sex Attraction Ministry, By: Patrick Payton
I had only been in the exhibit hall at the recent Southern Baptist Convention for a few minutes and had scarcely made it to the Task Force for Ministry to Homosexuals booth when I was asked the following question, "Patrick, how do we get our Pastor involved in this ministry; all he tells us is that this is the type of ministry that has to come from the ground up?" This question stuck deeply in my mind and I have given it quite a bit of thought since that Convention hall meeting. As a Senior Pastor whose church is deeply involved in, and highly committed to, engaging culture with the redemptive work of Jesus Christ in the area of same sex attractions I have a few opinions about how to now answer this pastoral engagement question.
When I talk to other pastors about the church and ministry it is almost certain that when it comes to the areas of evangelism, missions and Sunday School (discipleship) every pastor will say the churchs passion for evangelism, missions and discipleship is directly related to the demonstrated passion of the Senior Pastor and how he speaks to these issues from the pulpit. They will use clich豠like, "Find a church not winning souls and you will find a Pastor not winning souls to Jesus." Or they might say, "Find a church not on mission for the kingdom and you will find a pastor not committed to the Great Commission." Read any book on church growth and you will no doubt read that within the top three factors for growth and engagement in the culture is the preaching and attitude and lifestyle of the Senior Pastor. So why are Senior Pastors so hesitant to engage this critical issue facing culture and the church? I think there are a few reasons.
Reason one. Pastors think they are engaging the issue; after all, they are preaching that homosexuality is a sin that needs to be repented of and they are preaching against the public policy that approves of same-sex marriage. While preaching about an issue and against an issue is good it does not mean you are engaging the issue as the church. To engage it means that it gets its direction and passion from the pulpit and it gets it legs and life in the community of the church. To engage it means that the senior pastor must make sure that the church is fully developing ways to help families affected by same sex attraction issues with the same passion they might lead their church to give to missions or invite a friend on high attendance Sunday. To engage it means more than simply saying it is wrong; it means to actively seek ways to rescue and restore those affected.
Reason two. I think many pastors and churches have forgotten one simple yet serious truth the enemy is not the homosexual, the Enemy is the Enemy and he is using same sex attraction issues to dismantle lives, families and society in ways we could have never imagined. Whether we see a "Gay Agenda" at work or a Homosexual Jihad against society, the cause and force behind this battle and issue is none other than the prince of the power of the air the one we really fight against. We have forgotten that we wrestle not against homosexuals and lesbians and Supreme Courts and Congress but we wrestle and fight in an unseen world for the souls of men and women ensnared by the traps of the real Enemy. The Titanic of culture as we know it might truly be sinking but the Titanic is not what we are trying to save. We are trying to save the lives of those who are on the boat. Save their lives and we will live to sail another great ship; get mad at the ship and yell at it and we will lose the lives that could have made a difference another day.
The fact of the matter is we have come to a place in many of our churches where we are more afraid of homosexuals and their agenda than we are of the Enemy and His agenda. We have made fighting homosexuality the issue rather than making rescue, redemption and restoration the issue. We have become convinced that alcoholics and drug addicts can struggle and still be saved but the one ensnared in same-sex attraction issues must either be "gay or not gay" while we refuse to understand the depths of despair and hurt and entrapment that only come by walking and pacing with those affected in and out of this struggle. The Enemy is the enemy, and he is distracting the church.
Reason three. Many pastors just do not want to agree with the fact that gender related issues are the defining issues of our day. Yes, they may see the gender and sexuality issues as serious, but not serious enough to engage it and do something about it. Not serious enough to realize that whether they pastor a church in a township of 200 or in a mega-church of 20,000, lives in their church are affected personally by this issue and need their church to pull back the veil of shame and damnation and shine the light of rescue and relief. Pastors need to realize that the Baby Boomer generation that fills their pulpits have children their pastors have never met living far away from home in a homosexual lifestyle, and they desperately need their pastor to lead the way in redemptive and restorative ministry to those impacted by same sex attraction. It starts from the pulpit.
"It starts in the pulpit just like all other great issues which face the church." It starts with you Pastor. The people in your church already know that homosexuality is sin but now they need to know what your redemptive action will be as a church as you battle the Enemy, love the homosexual and demonstrate the grace and mercy and truth of Jesus to those affected by the greatest cultural issue to face this nation and the Church.