The Overlooked Skills That Make or Break a Pastor, Part 5

Forming Judgments the Best You Can

If you’re not willing to make judgments, you’re not ready to pastor.

Let me explain what I mean by judgment. I’m not talking about being judgmental or harsh for the sake of it. I mean making a moral assessment based on what you can see, what you’ve prayed over, and what you’ve discussed with your fellow elders. Sometimes judgment happens quietly—in a conversation over coffee. Other times, it unfolds in an elders’ meeting, or, rarely, before the whole church. Whatever the setting, the work is the same: observe the situation, pray it through, talk it out, and make the call. That’s the work pastors are given.

This matters because one of the marks of a true church is discipline. And frankly, it’s one of the most neglected and misunderstood aspects of ministry today. "Church discipline" has become synonymous with excommunication, but that is only the final step that should be preceded by several others.

Discipline includes more than correction. It’s also formative. Every time a pastor preaches, teaches, exhorts, or encourages, the Spirit uses that to shape believers. That’s discipline. It’s like strength training. It builds up what’s weak. It trains people in righteousness.

There’s a necessary place for corrective discipline. That’s often where things get tricky. Not all sin is obvious. Some people are good at hiding it. Others downplay or excuse it. A lazy pastor might say, “Well, I didn’t see anything,” as if that settles it. But shepherds are called to keep watch, not to snoop or speculate, but to stay close enough to notice when something’s off.

Pastoring is people work. With experience, you start to catch things you once missed: a strange tone, a shift in posture, a coldness where there used to be warmth. These are the kinds of changes a good shepherd pays attention to. But you’ve got to be wise. You don’t want to overreact to something minor; at the same time, most people minimizing their sin will try to make a major issue seem like no big deal. That’s what makes this work hard. You’ve got to know the difference.

Pastors can’t be passive. You’ve got to be perceptive enough to notice and discerning enough to respond. And in most cases, your judgment will fall into one of three categories:

1. This needs more attention.

2. This does not need more attention.

3. I’m not sure yet; I need to keep it on my radar until I can make the call.

That kind of discernment takes prayer, time, and involvement. And you’ll almost never have the full picture. Sometimes you have enough to act; other times, you don’t. But if someone is trying to avoid repentance, don’t expect them to hand over everything clearly and honestly. They’ll dodge, withhold, manipulate, and try to confuse the matter. That’s not new. That’s human nature. We’ve all done it.

The task of a pastor, along with his fellow elders, is to gather what can be known, apply the relevant biblical principles, and come to a decision. That’s judgment. And when people say, “You didn’t gather all the information,” the real question is this: “Did we gather enough?” If so, then make the call. Don’t get stuck in permanent deliberation. You’ve got to judge.

Now, if it turns out you didn’t gather enough, if new details emerge, then listen. Be humble enough to re-evaluate. It’s easy to misread situations, especially if your judgment is colored by past experiences or personal bias. That’s real. But don’t let the fear of being wrong paralyze you. That’s not humility; that’s neglect.

There will be people who say you neglected the situation, and people who say you meddled in it. The pastor lives in the hard middle of those two ditches. Even when you’re being faithful, you’ll face the accusations.

Your first concern must be to honor God and care for your people.

If you’re a meddler, you’ll wear yourself out and overreach. If you’re a neglector, sin will take hold and spread like cancer.

You can’t be either.

Let me close with a warning. Our culture is robbing us of biblical language and categories. Even solid Christians squirm at the idea of judging. And the notion that elders might have to exercise judgment without absolute certainty makes some people nervous. They want it black and white—cut and dry. I understand that. So do I. And no doubt, some will say, “That kind of thinking leads to abuse,” or “This sounds heavy-handed.” Sure, it can. But so can everything good.

The fact that something can be abused doesn’t mean we throw it out. Scripture doesn’t tell each person exactly which job to take, but it does tell them to work with diligence and integrity. Likewise, it doesn’t give elders a flowchart for every situation, but it does give principles. The calling of a pastor is to apply those principles with wisdom in real life.

Some won’t understand the necessity of forming judgments. And you will get some things wrong. Be quick to own it and apologize. But we’ve got to recover a basic truth: biblical judgment is a virtue, not a vice, and it’s absolutely necessary for anyone claiming to watch over souls.