Accountable2You » Resources » Personal Accountability » A Shepherd and a Sheep: Accountability in a Pastor’s Life
When I was living in California, I looked forward to Sunday nights of Q&A with our pastor. It was one way for him to know which Bible questions weighed heavily on our hearts, so he could faithfully shepherd us.
I never had the courage to go up to a microphone and ask a question myself. I was too conscious of the many people watching in the church and all over social media. I was eager to hear what others had to ask, and I would nod affirmingly if someone asked the same question that had been on my mind.
But if I could have a private audience, I have some questions for all the pastors, particularly about accountability. I do better when I can ask directly, and given the personal and weighty nature of these questions, I’m sure you, pastors, would agree with me that this is a better approach.
With that said, I invite you, dear pastor, to a private Q&A. With only God as your audience and no microphone or livestream to broadcast your answers, how would you respond to these questions?
My first question assumes that you already know Hebrews 13:17, which says, “for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.” But it might be news to a few. Though I grew up in the church, I had never heard this truth preached from the pulpit. It was only after moving overseas that I first heard a pastor say he wants to be faithful, as someone accountable for my soul.
Your office of pastor (Latin for shepherd) is a holy calling that comes with real accountability (2 Timothy 1:9). Jesus has entrusted you with the care of the souls that He has purchased with His precious blood (Acts 20:28). Under His authority, the Chief Shepherd has called you to lead, feed, and protect His flock.
Your office of pastor is a holy calling that comes with real accountability.
I once sat with a teenage girl whose face reflected confusion, shock, and fear as she asked me, “Do you mean I was sinning all this time?” She had just learned that her pastor had been disqualified from ministry because of sexual immorality. She had grown up faithfully attending church under his leadership, yet she had never heard that having sex outside of marriage is a sin. Today, she no longer attends church. Imagine being held accountable for her soul and for many others if you fail to warn, teach, and protect them.
Scripture is clear that God holds unfaithful shepherds accountable (Ezekiel 33:7–9; 34:2–10). Yet it is also clear that He delights to reward faithful shepherds who reflect the heart of the Chief Shepherd toward His sheep.
Pastor, one day you will stand before Him. On that day, will you be able to present the people entrusted to you as fully mature in Christ (Colossians 1:28 NIV)?
You may receive this second question as a gentle reminder: your soul needs care, too. While God has called you to shepherd others, you remain a sheep yourself. Brother, you will stand before God just as every believer will (Romans 14:10). One day, you will not only give an account for the souls under your care, but for your own soul as well (2 Corinthians 5:10).
The cost is too great for you not to keep watch over your own life.
Because the calling of a pastor is a high and holy one, Scripture tells us that those who teach will be judged with greater strictness (James 3:1). As a shepherd, God calls you to imitate Christ, whose character sets the standard for those who serve as elders (1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9). You are to be an example to the flock (1 Peter 5:1–3), to fellow believers (1 Timothy 4:12), and to the watching world (1 Timothy 3:7). The cost is too great for you not to keep watch over your own life.
The apostle Paul asked the teachers of the law, “You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself?” (Romans 2:21). Along those same lines, I ask you, as your fellow sheep, who knows how easy it is to drift:
One of the great temptations in ministry is to stay busy doing the Lord’s work while slowly neglecting the Lord Himself. But the same Jesus you point your congregation to is the same Jesus who can sustain you. Do you go to your Shepherd and find your nourishment, rest, and strength in Him (Psalm 23)?
“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, asks: “Shepherds may keep the sheep, but who will pastorize the shepherds?” We find in God’s Word that He has given you the same resources that He gave the Church to live a life of holiness and Christlikeness. No one is above the need for accountability.
One of the resources God has provided is the Body of believers, whom He calls to practice the “one anothers.” Among many things, God has called us to refine, exhort, and keep each other accountable (Proverbs 27:17; Hebrews 10:24–25). Sadly, some pastors overlook the resource found in the fellowship of believers. In 2016, a Lifeway survey found that 6 out of 10 former pastors felt isolated during their ministry.
As fellow believers, we are called to help one another grow spiritually by walking together in love, prayer, and accountability. When we see accountability as a God-given tool to remain on the path of holiness, it enables us to live openly and to receive encouragement, guidance, and correction from others with humility. Even Paul, despite his spiritual superiority as an apostle, modeled this dependence on the Body of Christ. He repeatedly sought the prayers, fellowship, and support of other believers (Romans 1:8–13; 15:30; 2 Corinthians 1:11). He showed that no one is beyond receiving encouragement from God’s people.
If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to find brothers in Christ who will walk with you. They can come from a circle of pastors in your church, pastors from other churches, or older, mature men in your congregation. These brothers in Christ can help you meet and maintain the standards set for elders by holding you accountable. Meet regularly with them, confess your sins to them, and allow them to speak truth to you and challenge you toward Christlikeness (Ephesians 4:15). Allow them to ask questions, even the hard ones.
When you live a life of accountability, you model holiness to your congregation and show them that pursuing Christ seriously is worth the effort. It may be helpful to pause and ask yourself:
No one is above the need for accountability.
Pastors, I ask you all these questions as your sister in Christ who has suffered through many pastoral downfalls. I have seen how sexual sin in particular can shut down ministries, break friendships, split church congregations, and destroy families. But at the same time, I can attest that God can graciously use men who strive to live in holiness for the advancement of His kingdom.
Whether we like it or not, none of us can escape accountability. I don’t know exactly what the day of accounting will look like (Romans 14:12). Perhaps we will have a final Q&A with our Master, with Him asking the questions, but by then our opportunity for change will have passed.
If you cannot answer these questions with a clear affirmation today, dear pastor, it’s not too late to repent. Reach out to someone, take accountability seriously, and walk in holiness and transparency. May you do so that one day you may hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21), receive the unfading crown of glory, and lay it at the feet of Jesus, your Great Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4).