Part of the responsibilities of a pastor is protecting the church from false teachers and false teaching.  This requires scriptural knowledge and dedication to biblical truth in order to be discerning in areas of doctrine.  Protecting the flock also includes dealing with disputes and church discipline according to biblical directives.

Another major role of a pastor is to be “able to teach.”  Though some people’s spiritual gifts/talent makes this area stronger than in others, part of the job of shepherding is making sure the flock is fed the Word of God.

Many of the biblical references equate a pastor with shepherding the church, among other things, this means leading the church.  The Pastoral Team has decision making authority for the body to ensure that the church remains on a true course biblically, and is freed and equipped for Christian service. 
- This should be a servant leadership, a leadership by example. 
- This should be a shared leadership—the Bible always speaks of pastor/elders in the plural sense when not referring to the qualifications or an individual referring to himself. 
- This should be a male leadership.  The Bible outlines the qualifications for a pastor in keeping with its teaching on manhood.  This body of leaders is not any higher or better than any other position within the church and so the maleness of the group in no way equates to superiority, but instead it points to the importance of an intimate, accountable brotherhood that leads and initiates as a reflection of Christ’s headship of the church and the man’s headship in the marriage/home. At the same time, an important reality is that the wife of a pastor is “one flesh” with the pastor and therefore an incredibly important pastor in her own right, protecting, feeding, leading . . ..  [For more on the gender issue and the Pastoral Team, click here.]
- This is a leadership of great responsibility.  The Bible is clear that those in authority are held to a higher standard; they are seen as God’s stewards—or His household manager.  This is certainly something that should not be taken lightly and should not be sought after for means of status, for the stakes are high.  Along with all this must be the recognition that while the church body affirms the leadership of the pastors and submits to them, the people of the church also carry an enormous authority within the church and are the final court for church decisions.  The Pastoral Team is meant to lead, serve and equip, not to rule over, and thus they are accountable to the people.

Jesus was quite clear in ministry that physical needs must be met as a part of our Christian service.  A pastor must be engaged in recognizing and moving to address felt needs in the church and in the community.  Whether visiting the sick, comforting the mourning, strengthening the weak, counseling, giving, guiding, etc., a pastor must work to see the flock’s needs met.

Understanding the role of pastor/elder to be merely a board, a status, a level of maturity or position of influence is a sad distortion of truth.  A pastor should be a servant of all and should display an inspiring level of initiative, both spiritually and physically in order to encourage the church and prepare them for their own works of service.

A pastor should understand spiritual gifts and be familiar with his own and how to cultivate the gifts of others.  The Pastoral Team should have a wide range of gifts, primarily those mentioned in Ephesians 4 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher) so that they can lead the church into full maturity in Christ.