The Necessity of Pastoral Visiting

Barring the extenuating circumstances of the pandemic, if you are not visiting folks in your congregation, then you are probably not their pastor.

This was a difficult truth for me to learn. I grew up attending a large congregation that had many leaders on staff, most of them talented preachers, administrators, evangelists, and worship leaders. Few of them, however, were pastors.

I am finishing up my curacy in the next few months, and as I reflect on some of the lessons I’ve learned, this is one of the significant ones: I cannot be a pastor unless I know the people whose souls are in my cure, and I cannot know their souls until I’ve spent time with them, and I can’t spend time with them unless I make a point to meet them in their homes, in their workplaces, in cafes, or in the park. Read More