In one of my first pastorates I made the mistake of trying to change things too quickly. I was a young Seminary graduate. In my mind I knew more than the Church did and I was there to change things in whatever way I could, even by strangulation, if necessary – all to the glory of God!

Many years ago a PCA ruling elder transferred to the Church where I was the Pastor. I had known him for years and he was a very superb elder. He was very intelligent, well-read, and was at ease around people with a real shepherd’s heart. Still, he was new to our congregation and he asked me what he should do since he had been an elder in another church. I told him, “You need to take a seat in the back of the Church and keep your mouth shut for one whole year.” He did what I told him, and after about two years he was elected an elder in our Church and served with distinction until he died.

I have been asked by a number of young men going into their first pastorate if I had any advice. My response was similar to the advice I gave this ruling elder. Go into the Church, and don’t change anything for one year.” I call it the One Year Rule for New Pastors. No doubt there will be things that need to be changed. The church roll may need to be cleaned up. The Sunday school literature needs replaced. Sunday Evening Service is sparse in attendance. The letters on the Church sign are falling off. Your office chair is held together with duct tape. Hey, let it ride. Don’t touch anything or change anything for a whole year! Twelve full months! Not a day less!

The first thing a new pastor needs to do is to gain the confidence and trust of the people. Just because you have credentials and just because you have graduated from Seminary (and wrote an excellent, scholarly, theological paper for your apologetics professor) does not mean the people will automatically trust and respect you. You have to earn that. Be a servant in every possible way that first year. Visit as much as you can. Get to know the people. Be there when they are in trouble. Laugh with them at their weaknesses, and cry in the midst of their sorrows. Become their friend as well as their pastor. Once you have gained their trust and love, they will follow you like sheep following a shepherd.

Then, with the encouragement and wise restraint of the other elders in the Church, you can begin to implement change. You can start the process of making your visions reality.

In one of my first pastorates I made the mistake of trying to change things too quickly. I was a young Seminary graduate. In my mind I knew more than the Church did and I was there to change things in whatever way I could, even by strangulation, if necessary – all to the glory of God! Soon, my concern was not the implementation of my visions, but my concern was whether I would even survive as pastor for another six months.

Families were upset. Some were even leaving the Church. I learned my lesson the hard way. No one had given me any advice about being a new pastor.

The irony is that as I saw all the problems in that Church, I was right theologically. I was right from the standpoint of church polity. But being right was not the issue. Gaining trust and respect of the people was the issue. Before any changes could be made I had to earn the right to lead the congregation. I had to teach them how to think biblically so that they themselves would see the things that needed to be changed. Then, as a result of what I had taught them, they would recommend the needed changes to me. I let them think it was their idea and we were all happy. This takes time, at least one full year, and probably even longer.

Thus my advice to young men out of Seminary who are all excited about your first pastorate, and also to older men long out of Seminary going to a new church, don’t ignore the One Year Rule for New Pastors.

Larry Ball is a retired Teaching Elder in the PCA and resides in Kingsport, TN