President, or Pastor?

[Gregory Matthews]

The General Conference has posted a 47-minute interview with Ted Wilson on the Internet. People have been allowed to comment on that interview. In addition, those comments are not moderated, so, comments are immediately posted for the world to see. I have posted the following:

I note that President Wilson likes to be called Pastor Wilson.  That concerns me.  The office of President is an honorable one, as is that of being a SDA pastor.  Both are important in the role and function of SDA mission.  But, they are separate and distinct.  I do not think that one can be both the President of the General Conference and a SDA pastor.  I wonder if President Wilson actually wishes that he was a SDA pastor, and not the GC President?  A SDA pastor has a specific congregation of people to whom the pastor ministers.  As such, that pastor is available to those congregational members on a day-to-day basis.  That pastor nurtures them individually, consoles them in  times of trouble and leads them in spiritual enrichment.  In short, that pastor is available to individual members on a daily basis.  I personally met Ted Wilson some 40+ years ago.  I have never had contact with him in the decades that have passed since that time.  In what sense have I had a pastoral relationship with him in the years that have passed since that time?  I would hope that we would not expect our congregational pastors to be effective who only had contact wiht  individual members on a 40-year basis.  The positions in the SDA Church of SDA pastor and of General Conference President are valued.  But, as I believe that President Wilson can only serve in one such position, I will suggest that he decide which position is the one that God has called him to fill.

 

The video link to my comment is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJGibAIQLbM

 

Gregory Matthews

 

[pierrepaul]

Interesting point of view. When I was a regular SDA attender, it seemed to me that many, both clergy and laity, conflated the role of preacher and pastor - with many "pastors" believing that their primary role was that of a public speaker once per week. They relished that role, while grudgingly performing the other roles.