Oversight of Souls - Initial Post

Eight years ago shortly after the conclusion of my first pastorate, I recorded the following thought:

“The crying need of our day is for holy men of God pastoring the church of God and being diligent in the oversight of souls” (8/7/97)

I don’t remember now exactly the events which prompted the writing down of this thought, but I have kept it with me on a sticky note through the years as I have become increasingly convinced of the point. Of course you could describe the need of our day in various ways, but I am firmly convinced that this statement does get at least to one of the primary needs for the renewal of the church in our day. That the modern Western church is in desperate need of renewal I take as a given. The things needing addressing for such a renewal are manifold; but, this issue, the restoration of a true, biblical understanding of overseeing souls, I think captures many of them under one heading. This has become a consuming passion of mine, and I have started this blog as one part of an effort to address this issue.

I intend to write as a pastor for pastors, addressing various issues from the angle of the pastorate. I think many things impinge on thinking about the pastorate, from literature to poetry to current events to exegetical and theological musings. If this will prove useful to any laboring in the oversight of souls, or to encourage some in the office of the pastor to actually begin to labor in overseeing souls, then this will be worthwhile.