Or an Analysis of Pastoral Role Practice

For a long time, the question has been raised in Christian circles about the mission Christ left the apostles at the time of His ascension. Remember: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” — Matthew 28:19-20

Already, controversy divides those who believe we must make disciples in all nations and those who would rather discipline the nations themselves.

I won’t delve into that debate today, even though it is highly interesting. But before we try to transform a nation to follow Christ, let’s humbly try to make one disciple. Often, in evangelical circles, we have preached the gospel of salvation. We have assumed—wrongly, no doubt—that all it takes is for someone to raise their hand at the altar call and repeat the “sinner’s prayer” after us to be saved.

“If you have not yet invited Jesus Christ of Nazareth, risen from the dead as Lord and Savior of your life, you must say this prayer in faith before God: I receive, in my heart, Jesus Christ of Nazareth as my personal Lord and Savior. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and I believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank You, Eternal Father, for forgiving me, saving me, and giving me eternal life in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

The very words invite or receive Jesus are misleading. Do you want Jesus to come into your life? Just be nice. You’ll see, with Jesus, everything will be so much better. And besides, you’ll be saved—what a deal! Right? And there are cookies after the service…

We should sue for false advertising those who preach the gospel this way. Of course, it’s more marketable than saying: “I bring you the sword, not peace… you will have to carry your cross… you will be persecuted, cursed, accused… etc.”

But the problem with this pseudo-gospel is that it doesn’t produce disciples. At best, it produces “believers”—and even that is debatable. It would be interesting to conduct an in-depth study of evangelical beliefs. How many of those who attend church every Sunday truly believe that: “I am with you always, to the end of the age”?

I think if we realized that Jesus is truly present among us until the end of the world, we would pay more attention to being His disciples daily.

Some have told me: “Once they are believers and come to church, then we can make them disciples.” And that’s true. Sharing the good news certainly doesn’t mean throwing the net of judgment in people’s faces and telling them how bad they are. But neither can we do it without addressing repentance.

But then, how do we go about transforming the “pseudo-believer” who comes to us from an evangelistic crusade into a disciple? Too often, we must admit, we rely on Sunday morning sermons to work this transformation. And year after year, we see the failure of such a strategy.

We then try, through “pastoral” counseling, to educate new converts to adopt behavior worthy of their new status.

I, too, have been through the “depersonalization mill”! They made me cut my hair, change my style of dress, remove my earring… I was told that being a street musician was unworthy of what Christ had done in my life… They presented me as a former outcast, a former drug addict, a former deserter—in short, a former Mikaël. But what about the new one?

And for good reason! Nothing had been done to create a new one! They had merely stripped the old one of everything that didn’t fit the criteria of the church where I had been—or rather, where I should have been—welcomed.

Does God ask us to make disciples of Christ or to make puppets that conform to the expectations of the church culture we belong to?

Behaviorism in the Church: “Discount Discipleship!”

The goal of behavioral therapy is to change a way of acting or to learn a new, more adaptive one to reduce or eliminate maladaptive behaviors. It is particularly effective for two groups of people: those who feel little guilt and are insensitive to the consequences of their actions, and those suffering from phobias or behaviors they cannot control.

This approach is often reduced to the analysis and modification of behavior, and many professionals compare it to “training.” That’s why it is often despised in socio-educational circles.

Yet it is widespread in today’s pastoral approach. We are taught what to do—or not do—in the church. How to speak, dress, pray, what to say, how to vote. And all too often, this is based more on our church culture than on what the Word of God teaches.

“We don’t speak in tongues here!” was the first thing a pastor told me when I joined a church after spending a few months in another assembly that did practice spiritual gifts. In another church, in Canada, I was told that to become a member, I had to sign a document pledging never to consume alcohol again and to tithe every month. Another church denied Communion to those who weren’t baptized and refused baptism to those they deemed unfit—that is, those whose behavior didn’t meet their standards.

Imitator of Christ, Not a Photocopy of the Pastor!

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” He didn’t ask us to become little Saul/Pauls of Tarsus; he invited us to be “little Christs”—the very definition of the word Christian.

John defines it even more precisely in his first epistle: “Whoever says he abides in Him [in Jesus] ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.” — 1 John 2:6

He echoes Jesus’ teaching: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5

To be disciples of Christ, we must abide in Him! In fact, there is no other way to become a disciple! Walking daily with the Lord, journeying with Him through good times and bad. Spending time letting Him infuse us!

If, as a ministry, I make disciples, they will be disciples of Mikaël REALE. But if I always point them back to Christ, serving merely as a signpost toward the Master, then they will become disciples of the One with whom they spend their time.

Matthew 23:8 tells us: “But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.”

Too many ministries today lead people to themselves rather than to Christ. The cult of personality in some evangelical circles would be amusing if it didn’t divert so many Christians from spending personal time with God. Worse, people end up no longer opening their Bibles outside of studies led by this or that leader and lose all critical thinking.

Each person is responsible for following Christ for themselves, and there would certainly be fewer bad leaders if fewer people agreed to blindly follow just anyone. That’s undoubtedly true. But I believe the responsibility of those who lead will be judged far more severely than that of those who merely follow. (James 3:1)

So let each of us examine ourselves, and may we all seek above all to be disciples of Christ.

Mikaël REALE