Pastors have been compared to shepherds since the beginning of the church. The Apostle Peter encouraged the Church elders to “shepherd the flock of God among you.” The word pastor itself comes from a Latin word that means “herdsman.” Just as shepherds guide and tenderly care for their flocks, so pastors lead and serve and care for the needs of their congregation. However, relationships between pastors and flocks are not always as serene as the pastoral image might imply.

All pastors have needs, never forget that. Underneath the ministerial garb, they are just sheep like everyone else. They hurt when they’re bitten, they fight, or run when they’re threatened and they shiver in the cold wind when they’re shorn. Back in 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5, the Apostle Paul reveals a lot about himself as a pastor-shepherd and about his relationship to the flock at Thessalonica. In doing so, he indirectly instructs us in strengthening the pastor-flock relationship.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

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