A systematic theological investigation of the marks of the pastor according to contemporary baptist theology in South African and German contexts

Abstract

Baptists regard ecclesiology as the field where they provide a unique contribution to Christian theology and practice. Yet, the Baptist Principles that summarize the distinctive beliefs of Baptists have not much to say about the position and role of the Baptist pastor. Instead, they emphasize the equality of all church members and their individual rights to participate and decide in church matters. This thesis investigates the theology of ministry from contemporary Baptist sources in South African and German contexts. The author takes from his own experience of ministry in both countries, but researches literature also from a wider range of backgrounds.

The first part provides a discussion of Baptist ecclesiology with a view to the topic of ministry. The Baptist Principles are scrutinized with specific focus on the Principles of the priesthood of all believers and of congregational church government. They allow for a variety of interpretations, but on the whole limit the position of the pastor rather than positively describing it. The same is true for the German Baptists' creedal document Rechenschaft vom Glauben. The author of this thesis sees his particular contribution to the topic in providing a positive characterization of the Baptist pastor.

He does so in the second part where he presents four pairs of marks of the pastor. "Called and Gifted" describes the divine origin of ministry. Both marks are not exclusive to pastors, but also have a general meaning that includes all church members. "Ordained and Trained" is summarized as a secondary category, which shows the human institutions and prerequisites for ministry. "Leader and Servant" is a seeming contradiction in terms, but has become idiomatic as a combined term to describe the Christian way of leadership, as proclaimed by Jesus. "Preacher and Shepherd" are both synonyms for the pastor. They emphasize different aspects of ministry, but can also be interpreted as contrasting in focus.

In his conclusion, the author relates the marks of the pastor to the Baptist Principles. From there, he formulates challenges for the understanding of pastors in Baptist churches in Germany and in South Africa.