Today’s guest blogger is Dr. Todd Linn, who pastored for a number of years. The author of You’re Either Walking the Walk or Just Running Your Mouth! (Verse-By-Verse Study of the Book of James), Todd is a minister with a pastor’s heart and a love for the Word. He earned his PhD from Southern Seminary and writes in a popular style that combines scholarship, humor, and practical application. You can read more of his writing at his website, https://preachingtruth.org.
If you’re a preacher, then you know that from time to time you are asked to preach where someone else is the pastor–perhaps as a guest speaker, a visiting evangelist, or even a staff minister filling the pulpit while the senior pastor is away. Unfortunately, many speakers seem to think only of the message they intend to preach during their time on the platform, but there are other matters to consider.
- Talk to the pastor. Contacting the pastor honors him and allows you opportunity to express your gratitude for the invitation to be in the church he shepherds. It also allows you to learn something of the spirit and ministry of the church body—information that will likely aid your preaching.
- Remember you are there to support the pastor’s ministry and leadership. Always speak in a way that lends support to the pastor and pastoral leadership of the church. A brief, sincere statement about how honored you are to preach in the pastor’s absence strengthens the church body and minimizes any perceived “threat” you are there to draw attention to yourself.
- Read or listen to the pastor’s most recent message. Few speakers do this, but they should. Again, you are there to support the pastor and leadership. Taking time to overview what the pastor has been doing in the pulpit is invaluable to your “being on the same page” with the body life of the church.
- Avoid using media the pastor does not generally use. If you are there to support the pastor and the weekly ministry of the church, it will be helpful to make your time on the platform as seamless as possible. Using media the pastor does not typically use may draw attention away from the Word and bring too much focus on you as the guest speaker.
- Avoid anything that distracts or divides. Guest speakers are wise to avoid “hot button issues” like sharing a political persuasion, addressing secondary (or tertiary) theological matters, or defending the use of a particular Bible translation. Whatever your preferences or convictions on such matters, avoid doing anything that takes attention from the main issue at hand: preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in a way that helps the congregation grow in the absence of their pastor.
Pastors and guest speakers, what would you add?
On the note of translation be respectful of the translation the Pastor uses and use the one he uses or ask permission if you wish to use a different one.
LOL now that’s a “hot button” issue right there. But it begs the question, “Do I listen to the Holy Spirit’s leading or do I seek a pastor’s approval?”
Sadly, one may NOT be the same as the other.
I like to ask what I can wear that will be acceptable to his congregation.
Good advice!
I look at their Facebook or Youtube sermon videos and see what the pastor tends to wear when he preaches.
This good, practical advice… that ignores what I see as the ONLY reason for preaching ANYWHERE. that would be “delivering the message that GOD gives us.”
It begs the question, “Are we ‘professional preachers’ whose only task is supporting each other or are we truly GOD’S servants?”
What a truly sorry state of affairs.