Too Reformed for some, too liberal for others...

This summer, I have enjoyed my first sabbatical after 13 years of ministry. I am deeply thankful to my church for their love, support, and care for my family in giving me this precious opportunity to rest.

It has taken me some time to adjust.

Slamming on the brakes in the fast lane will almost certainly cause an accident. In a similar way, after 13 years of ministry, you cannot simply stop and expect your mind and heart to immediately become still.

But after some time away on holiday with dear friends, I have slowly moved into the slow lane and have taken the next junction off.

Sunflower fields

I travelled to Romania, where I have strong family connections and a dear church that I love. Normally, I visit several times a year to serve in various ministries, but this trip was simply for pleasure. On the four-hour train journey from beautiful Bucharest to Galați, travelling through hundreds of square miles of glorious sunflower fields, I rested, prayed, and reflected on the many ups and downs of ministry life.

As I began to slowly unknot, I found myself pondering some of the criticisms I have faced over the years, both from within my congregation and from the wider Christian world.

I thought about how I could have handled certain situations differently and where I might have listened more carefully, communicated more clearly, or responded with greater wisdom.

Some criticism is valid, and every pastor needs people who love them enough to speak honestly into their lives. None of us get ministry right all the time. Pastors are sinners saved by grace, just like everyone else, and we have much to learn.

But I have also discovered that ministry can sometimes leave you in a rather impossible position.

Accusations

I have been accused in some circles of being too Reformed and, in others, too liberal; too evangelical and yet too ecumenical.

I have been described as being too positively complementarian, and more recently I have been accused of making an idol of the local church.

I have been charged with easy believism [the belief that a person is saved from sin simply by having a mental agreement with the gospel or by saying a short prayer, without needing to turn away from sin or live a changed life] and practising a social gospel, while at other times being told that I am neglecting the local church because of my wider gospel work.

Perhaps this is simply part of the strange calling of pastoral ministry. The gospel line a minister is asked to walk can sometimes feel like a tightrope, and the reality is that you cannot please everyone.

'Surely the wrath of man shall praise you'

And yet, behind every criticism there is often a person. People carry wounds, disappointments, expectations, fears, and hopes. Sometimes those things find their way into the life of the local church and, inevitably, into the life of its pastor. This does not make every criticism right, but it should make us compassionate toward one another.

In that moment of reflection on my way to my beloved Galati, I had Psalm 76 open in front of me on the train, with the sunflower fields passing by in the background. One verse in particular caught my heart: “Surely the wrath of man shall praise you.”

As I thought about the criticism I have received over the years, I began to wonder how Jesus Himself experienced “the wrath of man” during His earthly ministry.

In John 5v18, Jesus was accused of making Himself equal with God the Father. In Matthew 13v54, people questioned how someone from among them could speak with such wisdom and authority of God. In Luke 5v21, the religious leaders challenged Jesus for forgiving sins, saying, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

In Mark 3v22, Jesus was accused of having authority over demons. In John 11v50, Caiaphas argued that it was better for Jesus to die so that the nation might be saved. In Mark 15v18, Jesus was mocked as King.

There is something extraordinary about this.

Even the criticism Jesus received could not ultimately prevent the purposes of God.

In fact, His critics spoke words that, unknowingly, pointed towards the very gospel they were rejecting. Every critical statement above was true! “Surely the wrath of man shall praise you.”

Of course, we must be careful not to compare ourselves with Jesus too readily. Pastors are not Christ, and criticism of us is not necessarily persecution. Sometimes criticism reveals genuine weakness in us, and we should be humble enough to listen, repent, apologise, and grow.

But there are also times when criticism simply comes with the territory of pastoral ministry and affirms the truth of the gospel.

A word to pastors

Ministry is hard.

It is often during seasons of rest that you begin to realise just how overwhelmed your life has become.

When the noise quietens, you can finally hear some of the things you have been carrying for years.

For me this happened among the sunflowers of the Danube delta.

Pastors can sometimes become a punching bag for people who are hurting. This is not always malicious. Sometimes people hurt the people they trust enough to be close to. A pastor often stands at the intersection of people’s deepest joys and deepest pains. This is an enormous privilege, but it can also be an enormous weight.

So, if you are a pastor reading this, perhaps you need to hear this: not every criticism needs to define you. Listen carefully. Receive what is true. Repent where repentance is needed. Leave the rest to the praise of God.

And if you are someone who has criticised a pastor, perhaps remember that there is a human being on the receiving end. A pastor may be carrying far more than you realise. They may be tired, discouraged, or quietly wrestling with their own shortcomings while still trying to faithfully serve others. We all need grace.

Perhaps one of the great lessons of my sabbatical has been that ministry is not ultimately about being universally understood, universally approved, or universally liked. It is about being faithful.

If, in the midst of our imperfect ministry, even our critics’ words point us back to the gospel, then perhaps God is gracious enough to use even those difficult moments for His purposes and bring others to Himself.

The goal is not to please everyone.

The goal is to remain faithful to Christ.

“Surely the wrath of man shall praise you.”