How Do You Know If You Can Trust Your Pastor? 🤔

For starters, remember that all pastors are sinners 😔, but God still wants there to be a church and works through imperfect people. 🙌

Unfortunately, there have been pastors that have abused that trust. 💔

Here are concrete ways to evaluate trust in your pastor: 👇

1️⃣ First, check if they align with Scripture 📖 and foundational teachings.

Start by attending the church ⛪ and listening to their sermons — do they preach what the Bible teaches? 📜✨

For Lutherans, the Small Catechism provides a clear baseline — if your pastor contradicts these teachings, that's a red flag 🚩.

Your pastor's job isn't to define truth, but to convey God's truth. 💡✝️

2️⃣ Second, evaluate how they handle confession and forgiveness. 🛐

Ask questions like: "If I confess a sin to you, will God forgive it?" 🙏✨ and "Will you keep my confession confidential?" 🤐

A trustworthy pastor understands that forgiven sins belong to Jesus and shouldn't be disclosed. ✝️💖

You don't have to share everything at once; trust can develop over time. ⌛💬

3️⃣ Third, observe their approach to helping people overcome sin. ⚖️

Good pastors will:

🤝 Focus on giving sins to Jesus

🛡️ Help protect both you and others from harm 

👫 Walk alongside you in fighting against sin 💪

✝️ Emphasize forgiveness through Christ's death, not through your promises to do better 🤝💖

Remember that the goal isn't to find a flawless pastor (they don't exist 😅), but one who carries out God's work of forgiveness and spiritual care while acknowledging their own sinfulness. 🙏💕

The ultimate purpose of pastors and the church is to forgive your sins ✝️, to proclaim the gospel to you 📣✨, and to speak His Word to you. 📖🗣️

The best indicator is whether they point you to Christ ✝️ rather than themselves. 🌟

Contributor Amelia is a college student and HT’s assistant webmaster.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #trustingpastors