Christians: do you accept the authority of your religous leader or do you just believe what you want?

Question

Just what is the role of a minister anyway?
Do you think they know any more about spiritual things than anyone else?

Answer 1

Different denominations hold different views on the authority of their pastors, ministers, etc…

At our Free Methodist church, our pastor is always quick to point out that he's only human. Any great pastor, in my opinion, inspires their followers or congregation to seek knowledge on their own. Ours encourages us to visit other churches and listen to other sermons.

However, most pastors and ministers have done much more research and study into these things than the rest of us have time to do. It is there job.

Answer 2

I accept that my religious leaders have authority from Christ to do what they are called to do.
Unlike most other Christian churches we do not have a paid clergy. So even though there is someone who presides over the meetings, every week we have 2 or 3 different members who give talks on different gospel topics. They are assigned a topic a week or two ahead of time.
Do I think they know any more about spiritual things than I do? That's the nice thing, maybe they do, maybe they don't, but if they prepare asking God to help them say what He wants the congregation to know, they can do so and usually learn a lot in the process.

A "minister" is one who administers to the needs of those in his care. However, you may be talking about a preacher. A preacher is one who has authority to preach the word of God and does so.

Answer 3

I belong to a different denomination than my pastor, so we have a friendly rivalry going. But to answer your question, the role of the minister is far more than preaching a sermon. They set the tone and lead the entire direction of their congregation, decide on policy, they do just about everything a CEO would do, only more.

Their spiritual training includes plenty of study on the scriptures, so yes, they do know what they are talking about, to a much deeper level because it often involves meanings and translations out of the original tongues. They are also responsible for staying on top of current events and technologies. Their jobs are very involved, so pastors' jobs and knowledge should not be taken lightly.

Answer 4

Both! A Pastor is to equip us so that we can fight the good fight of faith by teaching us God's Word. We trust that God is leading us and that He uses Pastors to guide us. We also believe that God appoints people and leaders over us. When those Pastors contradict God's the Bible, we pray about it. We then confront the Pastor privately. If it is not resolved, then we bring in a witness or two. If it is still unresolved, then it should be brought before the whole Church. But, unfortunately, most times, we just leave and go to another Church.

Answer 5

Usually I listen to what my religious leaders say, and if I hear anything that sounds interesting, or that I have a question about, I go home, and I pray to know if it was true or not. I think it's a good method because it helps me gain a personal conviction for new principles I learn and to weed out the occasional opinion from doctrine. I've done this enough, that there are a number of leaders that I really do trust.

best wishes

Answer 6

I have no religious leader. I have a shepherd, and I am a shepherd myself. A minister is a shepherd of a flock of believers. It is his role to guide them and protect them from the wiles of the devil. No minister is a know-it-all. there is just too much to know and understand for one man. A minister is not a problem solver---I cannot solve anyone's problems for them. All I can do is offer God's word as a God. God is a director, not a councilor---God directs the believer to the solution and directs the believer along the path that God has chosen for him.

Answer 7

I believe a minister's role is to lead the church in their spiritual walk. I may not agree with everything they say, but most of what my pastor says are things I need to hear to improve my Christian walk. Usually they are people with a deep relationship with God, and He has called them to help others.
Peace

Answer 8

A minister, pastor or priest exists to guide the people, and to share God's wisdom. They exist to live as an example, to teach, and to disseminate information.

It is the Christian's responsibility to honor and support their minister, as long as his actions don't contradict bible fact. If they do go against the bible, they are sinning, just like anybody else. It would be foolish to trust people blindly without confirming the truth of what they're saying. This applies to every aspect of life, not just religion.

Answer 9

Since a pastor in my denomination has to have a Master’s of Divinity and be able to read in both Hebrew and Greek, I think they are well qualified. However, we are always called upon to accept what the pastor says only insofar as it agrees with what the Bible says. Even when Paul was doing his missionary journeys, the people he preached to would consult the Scriptures before accepting his words to make sure they where in line with what God has said before.

Answer 10

I accept their authority to a point, but I also make sure they are teaching what the Bible is teaching and make sure they are teaching sound doctrine before I believe what they're saying.

They do know quite a bit more about spiritual things than I do. They devote their life to Jesus and to studying his Word, so they are to be respected.