How to Decide If the New Pastor is for You

Whether you've been going to a church for 20 years and a new pastor comes in or if you are trying to find a new Christian church home, you need to see if the pastor is the right person for you and your walk with the Lord. With so many corrupt people in the world looking to lead you astray, you need to make sure your pastor is a man or woman of God. Here are a few things for you to take into consideration:

Is the pastor teaching what's in the Bible?
This may sound obvious in a Christian church, but it's important. If the pastor wants to preach his or her own beliefs and not what is truly in The Word, than beware. For example, some churches are allowing same sex marriages to take place in their congregations. This goes against what God says in the Bible which is very specific that man is to unite with a woman not a woman and woman or a man and a man uniting in marriage. Be careful when the pastor alters the rules to fit today's society.

Does the pastor practice what they preach?
I have a hard time when anyone lectures me about things without following their own advice. My previous boss told me of how her pastor stood in front of the congregation and admitted that he had had an affair for the last twenty years while being married with kids. My boss was unimpressed with his confession and told me that she felt it was none of her business and that it didn't matter. There are two problems here. First, if my pastor is going to preach on honesty in a marriage and how sacred this union is, then he or she better hold it high as well and not be cheating on their spouse. Secondly, my boss had every right to be concerned with the situation because he confessed it while her two younger children sat beside her. I am concerned for them that they'll think, "Well if he can do it so can I." No. Our children need to be taught that our leaders are sometimes wrong in their actions.

Does the pastor focus on the right things?
While money and membership is important in the church, it's not what's most important. Going to church should be about learning about God and what he said in the Bible and making a connection to him. The pastor can serve as a facilitator. If all you hear about every time you go church is "Attendance is about by 10%" or "We had hundreds dollars less in the offering this week than last," your pastor may have the wrong focus.

How does the pastor treat little children?
God is specific in the Bible about holding up our children and leading them to the Lord. If your pastor is worried about children crying in the service and making more of it than you think they should, the pastor may not have the right idea or enough respect for kids. Your pastor should be loving and welcoming towards the little ones of the congregation. After all, they are the future of the church.

Does the pastor take all the glory?
We all know that God is in control of our situation and is the reason that good things happen in our lives. If the pastor is taking credit for these things, he or she may not have her priorities straight and may not truly understand God's ways. I visited a new church that we may call our new church home and the pastor talked about how he gives all the glory to God and that it is God, not him, that makes miracles happen. He knows what he is talking about!

If you are unsure about a pastor in a certain congregation, ask to listen to some tapes or CD's of past preachings, sit in a few church services or ask to meet with him or her for a face-to-face meeting to get to know them better. Don't just walk out and give up the first time you are unhappy because you may be interrupting something wrong or the pastor may just be having a bad day. If after a few tries you are still unsure, try another church.