“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind” (1 Peter 5:1-2)
For me as a pastor these verses are the ones that define the pastoral ministry. People who are my responsibility are not mine; they are entrusted to me until the time Jesus comes for them. So my duty is to shepherd them – to surround them with care, to cherish and keep them. The most difficult part of this process is to know one’s own heart and to help people see theirs. To live with a realization that everything we do, think, and wish is revealed to God! To help other members of the church grow in practical Christian life.
I have served as a pastor for 10 years and had to face various situations in people’s lives. I have seen people trapped by fear and addictions, I have seen how some of them allow a bitter root grow in all the areas of their lives. I thank God for having me study at the program of International Counselling Institute “Coram Deo.” I have received necessary instruments to serve people. There are many testimonies of how the lives of people have changed. But, first of all, my own life has changed. I thank God for this wonderful resource that helps minister to people.
Ruslan Stropysh, Pastor of a Baptist church in Lviv