Expert: Brian Thompson - 12/18/2011

Question
I would like to know what a Pastor is expected to do besides preach 2 or 3 times a week in the Assemblies Of God.

Answer
Hi Allen

It can vary from church to church but in addition to leading the service the Pastor is usually the Chief Executive of the Church which means there are administrative tasks to attend to, planning and perhaps meeting with other community pastors or leaders.

In order to preach a Pastor must prepare a surmon this can take time for research and prayer to gain inspiration. A pastor is expected to keep up to date with current issues in both the Church and the community so a pastor will attend various conferences and meetings and seek personal input from other pastors.

A pastor might be expected to lead a prayer meeting or even a cell group and if the church is large enough to have other ministers to meet with, supervise and organise the work of those ministers.

A pastor will also be involved with prayer ministry which involves meeting with members of the congregation and conselling them, or attending to various cirses. Depending upon the level of body ministry the Pastor may also visit various people.

Many Pastors find they are in need of assistence because of the many demands that are made on their time. When a Church grows beyond a hundred individuals it is likely that a Pastor will need an assistant.

A pastor may also recieve invitations to visit and preach at other churches. This can absorb a great deal of time.

Another important part of the pastors duties is the maintenance of family relationships