Does Your Pastor Worship With The Congregation On Sundays?

alexstin

Well-Known Member
I must say it really irks me when the pastor misses most of the praise and worship part of the worship service. It seems that's more and more the norm these days. I guess I'm spoiled in that the church we were apart of years ago, the pastors(DH included) were all on the front row when services started.

Whenever DH has been asked to speak at a church and I accompanied him, we were always worshipping right there with the congregation. There's no way I would have stayed in the back while hearing everybody else worshipping.

Honestly, it puts a bad taste in my mouth and I've experienced this in small churches and mega churches where the pastor doesn't come out until the middle or near the end of worship. Isn't that apart of assembling together, voices raised in one accord? I know it's not all churches, but there is such a superstar mentality in many churches where a grand entrance needs to be made. The older I get the less tolerance I have for some of what's deemed as church culture. Just a little vent lol.
 
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alexstin

Well-Known Member
I guess I don't understand the question. My pastor leads the service. Who's leading the service if the pastor isn't?
In the situations I'm referencing, you may have an assistant pastor or minister open up the service, or it may be the worship pastor. The senior pastor doesn't come out until praise and worship is halfway or nearly over.
 

Shimmie

"God is the Only Truth -- Period"
Staff member
I understand exactly where you're coming from Pastor @alexstin :yep: There are some unicorns with elevated egos who need to be humbled. I see this often.

I'll share this:

My Pastors lead the Service with Prayer, Praise and Worship as well. It's only when there is a guest speaker who needs to get settled first that Pastor will have one of the Ministers lead. My Pastor and his wife are both Pastors of our Church.

When we have a guest speaker, Pastor doesn't let him or her come out until he gets to know their spirit. They have full prayer in Pastor's office, and a briefing on what the guest plans to minister. The Word of God is clear about knowing those who labor among us.

I need to make it clear that our Pastor doesn't have random guest speakers. He does his research and prayer for guidance. However, even when I minister and my Pastor has known me for decades, I'm not speaking to the congregation until we've (he and his wife) had prayer first and foremost before I enter that sanctuary. It keeps us on one accord with one another and foremost on one accord with the Holy Spirit.
 

alexstin

Well-Known Member
I understand exactly where you're coming from Pastor @alexstin :yep: There are some unicorns with elevated egos who need to be humbled. I see this often.

I'll share this:

My Pastors lead the Service with Prayer, Praise and Worship as well. It's only when there is a guest speaker who needs to get settled first that Pastor will have one of the Ministers lead. My Pastor and his wife are both Pastors of our Church.

When we have a guest speaker, Pastor doesn't let him or her come out until he gets to know their spirit. They have full prayer in Pastor's office, and a briefing on what the guest plans to minister. The Word of God is clear about knowing those who labor among us.

I need to make it clear that our Pastor doesn't have random guest speakers. He does his research and prayer for guidance. However, even when I minister and my Pastor has known me for decades, I'm not speaking to the congregation until we've (he and his wife) had prayer first and foremost before I enter that sanctuary. It keeps us on one accord with one another and foremost on one accord with the Holy Spirit.
Oh, yes, I understand. We've always gotten their early enough, so that whatever needs to be done is done before service starts and then you have guests who arrive from out of town shortly before service starts and they need to be spoken with/prayed over. I get that. I guess I just wonder why a pastor would intentionally miss it every Sunday. It's so energizing and uplifting.
 

GodsPromises

The Credit Countess
No only does my pastor worship with the congregation but he no longer sits in the pulpit. He sits in the first row with his wife and preaches from the floor. It's reall a nice feeling.
 

alexstin

Well-Known Member
No only does my pastor worship with the congregation but he no longer sits in the pulpit. He sits in the first row with his wife and preaches from the floor. It's reall a nice feeling.
I think that's nice too! I grew up in a church where the pastor sat in the pulpit, and went to such a church in my early years of adulthood. From there, it's always been a church where the pastor sits in the audience. I definitely prefer that.
 

GodsPromises

The Credit Countess
I think that's nice too! I grew up in a church where the pastor sat in the pulpit, and went to such a church in my early years of adulthood. From there, it's always been a church where the pastor sits in the audience. I definitely prefer that.
He just started sitting in the audience. It's is very nice and I'm not use to it but I love it. There are older members that is having problems with change but it's not business as usual.
 

Lisa

Well-Known Member
Wow! I've never seen a pastor only come in to preach! I've belonged to or visited small churches, large churches, and everything in between in WI, IL, MI, MS, NC, and VA (I'm sure some of you have been to more churches in more places). The pastor has always been there at the beginning or he (I've never been to a church with a female senior pastor) walks in while the choir is singing their first or second song. They kneel before their chair to pray and then do the call to worship and the prayer (once the choir is finished singing).

It would turn me off too if the pastor only came in to preach! It would seem like he is only coming to do a job, check a box, and not worship God!

Edited to add: I remember a couple of times my pastor came out right before he was going to preach but he always apologizes for it and told us why. Once he was trying to get himself together (and then broke down and cried). His friend (one of our associate ministers that had left to start his own church had a heart attack and died!) Why someone would want to deliver that message to a pastor on a Sunday right before church starts is beyond me! The only other times he was under the weather and instead of staying home, going home, or letting the associate minister preach he pushed through it!
 

Iwanthealthyhair67

Well-Known Member
At my church, most times my pastor will lead us into praise and worship, sometimes she may let others lead praise and worship this can be advance notice or at a moments notice, even if she asks someone to do it she is right there with everyone else worshipping.

this is all 3 times per week that we have services.
 
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CoilyFields

Well-Known Member
At all of my old churches the Pastor came in after devotion or during praise and worship. Walking down the center aisle. lol. Kind of "pomp and circumstance" but for most it was just tradition.

At my current church the Pastors sit in the front row in the middle. We have an hour of prayer before service and they are there for that so are naturally there for worship too. The only time one of them is not in the sanctuary for P&W is if they are still tweaking their sermon (rare but does happen on occassion).

We don't have a pulpit in the place we're leasing now so they only go up on the small stage to preach. When we purchase a church I'm not sure if they will have a full fledged pulpit and sit up there because they are really not interested in things like that.

I love that they worship with us. It's encouraging.
 

NICOLETHENUMBERONE

Well-Known Member
My pastor is actually an Apostle. He comes in during the beginning of praise/worship. Usually, he seems to be focused, listening to God or hearing what he is saying. That's the expression he has on his face because it's the same type of demeanor I've had during these moments of revelation or just listening for a prophetic or word of knowledge.
But, he sometimes gets really excited and stands up and lets the Spirit usher us into God's presence. I really enjoy fellowship now as I didn't before due to not "getting" or understanding praise/worship aspect.
 
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