mgpcpastor's blog

Okay, so the name of this blog is mgpcpastor.
This is because it’s the simplest description of what I do, not a reference to a title.
I don’t address my friends by putting their work description before their name.
Try it. ‘Butcher John’ or ‘Baker Mary’ or ‘Candlestick Maker Fred’. You get the idea.
So there’s no reason whatsoever to call someone who pastors a local congregation ‘Pastor Gary’ (or ‘Reverend Mr Ware’).
Far less reason to call those who are not in a pastoral relationship with a local church by those titles.
And then there’s ‘Right Reverend’ and ‘Very Reverend’.
When I arrived at mgpc nine years or so ago there was some confusion that they had a ‘Pastor’ and not a ‘Reverend’.
I told folk I preferred ‘Pastor’ as it was a Bible word. (If they have to use a title.)
There was mild pushback when I said ‘Good morning’ to the children and asked them to respond ‘Good morning Mr. Ware.’
But that seems to have abated.
There was even an older tradition of one of the former pastors being addressed as ‘Uncle’ by some of the congregation.
None of them ever tried that with me. (Thankfully)
Now they all pretty much call me ‘Gary’.
And that’s just fine.

This reflection was provoked by an article entitled Oh Yes, He’s the Right Reverend Professor Doctor So-and-So! by Craig Blomberg, a Bible teacher from the US.
Part of his conclusion:

Can you call your pastor by his or her first name only and feel comfortable doing so? Will the pastor feel equally comfortable with you? If not, why not? Are the answers to that question biblical or just traditional?

Andy Naselli value adds with this quote attributed to John MacArthur, another US Bible teacher.

It reminds me of how John MacArthur fields the question, “Why do people call you John [and not Pastor MacArthur or Dr. MacArthur]?”
Well, they called Paul, “Paul.”