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The PASTOR’S LANGUAGE DECORUM
Copyright © 2018 TONYE .S. Snithers,

Published 2016
SNITON-IMAGES
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www.tonyesnithers.blogspot.com
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Definition of terms
The Pastor’s language at home
The Pastor’s language at the pulpit
The Pastor’s language at the office
The ideal language usage for the pastor at all times
Conclusion
References




INTRODUCTION
Organization comes in many varieties: small, medium, and large, and an organization is a coordinated set of individuals working together on a relatively continuous basis toward common goal. This can be applied to families as well, and the life of a pastor is set on the pedestal or watch of every individual in and around him. Based on his personality the pastor cannot hide himself no matter how he tries to if he really wants to continue in preaching, teaching and counselling members and non members of his flock. It is on this stance the pastor must understand people and how he handles himself; coordinate others, the way he appears, the way he feels as well as his closeness or accommodative manner to everyone around him.
Twice in addressing the ministry, Apostle Paul gave the injunction, "take heed unto thyself." The first time was in his exhortation to the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:28) and then again in his letter to Timothy. (I Tim. 4:16). We can be assured that if those who were trained educated and are in the active ministry in Paul's day needed admonition, surely we do today.
Williamson notes that "every preacher should work out for himself a fundamental philosophy of life which is soundly Christian. Preacher, your task is to bring dignity to the ministry. By dignity we mean "worthiness, nobility, repute, honour, respect; the state or quality calculated to inspire awe or reverence; impressiveness; stateliness." Although we are living in an age in which respect for the ministry has been largely lost, it is still the task of the preacher to inspire or inculcate in the minds of the people the dignity due the gospel of Jesus Christ. What you are in your daily life will be the determining factor. "Let your conversation manner of life be as it becometh the gospel of Christ" (Phil. 1:27). The kind of language you use; the spirit you manifest toward sacred things--in the church, behind the pulpit, on the platform, in the vestibule; the things you permit yourself to talk about and listen to; how you act and talk at home and before sinners; how you dress; your spirituality or lack of spirituality; your readiness to exalt Christ and the gospel and your concern for souls will either bring repute or disrepute to the cause. How futile and how damaging it is to put on an imitation dignity and godliness when the real is not in evidence. Fearful are the judgments of God against counterfeits, but glorious are the rewards of the faithful and genuine! If one does not think through to such a working philosophy for the guidance of his own spirit, his decisions and judgment will be warped and his attitudes wrong. He will soon be ill-adjusted within himself and out of joint with people in general.
In this paper we shall be looking basically at “THE PASTOR AND HIS LANGUAGE DECORUM”, but before further discussion on this matter, it will be more meaningful for scholarly purpose, if we have a proper explanation or definition of the following terms;
DEFINITION OF TERMS
 Pastor: traditionally the title was applied to the ordained minister, particularly by churches of the reformed tradition. Practically this look to the model Jesus as the Good Shepherd and led on to an understanding of the priestly or ministerial role as ‘being Christ to the people’.    
The Merriam-webster Dictionary defined pastor as a clergyman serving in a local church or parish or a Christian minister who has a church or congregation under his official charge.
A minister especially of a nonconformist church – Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary
A minister in charge of a church; spiritual guide – Scott, Foresman International Dictionary
Language: this consists of the use of verbal and non-verbal communication, usually in conversation, but also in speeches, over the telephone, and via writing. The basic types of utterance are (1) asking questions, (2) giving orders or instructions, and (3) providing information.   And language involves speech meanwhile speech varies from ‘high’ and ‘low’ usages.
Language is also seen as the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used and understood by a considerable community or form of verbal expression
Decorum: this is the conformity to acceptable standards of conduct or orderliness and propriety  
We think words, hear words, speak words, sing words, write words, and read words—all the time every day. What do words have to do with Christianity? Almost everything At every stage in redemptive history—from the  time  before  time, to God’s creation, to man’s fall, to Christ’s redemption, and to the coming consummation—“God is there and he is not silent.”God’s words decisively create, confront, convict, correct, and comfort by his words he both interprets and instructs. So the pastor should not forget that he is of God and a servant of God and a represent of God who brings God’s word to the people of the world, to men and women. His use of language should be that which bring joy to the heart of men and not curse, healing not pain.
Therefore, every preacher should be able to say without hesitation, "I have a right to be a preacher!" No, not because he is better than others; not because he is favoured above others in the sight of God; not even because he has inherited a peculiar immunity to the common tasks of life. No, indeed not! In sincere humbleness of soul his words should be those of the Apostle Paul’s who said, "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach..." (Eph. 3:8). And also he is the leader of church members, which according to T.S. Snithers (2016) “The church cannot be an organization or an ordinary place where we can do anything we choose to do, nor is it just a building as the above dictionary defined it or as the people of the world (unbelievers) might call it. But a community of God’s chosen…” in this same vain the pastor as the under-Sheppard ought to show is life and word worth emulating and imitating.

THE PASTOR’S LANGUAGE AT HOME
According to Paul “A bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate.” Titus 1:7-8 As a pastor he is suppose to be a role model not just on the pulpit but in his home into his bedroom, his speech pattern should tell who he is as a servant of God. Again Paul said to the Philippian church “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.” Philippians 2:15
Ideal conversation is an exchange of thought and not an eloquent exhibition of wit or oratory. The pastor’s conversation should be a matter of equal give and take at home and on the pulpit. The faults of conversation are committed not by those who talk little, but by those who talk much. "Most people know how to say nothing but they don't know when," is a clever saying that illustrates the point at hand. Most of our pastors curse their children, calling them all sort of ugly demeaning names, all because they are their fathers in this manner creating negative influence on the children. Many don’t even like listening to others or even their wives or children but like doing more of the talking and placing themselves as boss instead of a loving father, even if they are the head in the family.
A few good rules of etiquette on the use of language here are:
a. Avoid interrupting a speaker. Emily Post suggests that the old sign at the railroad crossings--STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN -- is excellent advice in many circumstances other than when waiting to cross the tracks. "in conversation, 'STOP' means not to rush recklessly forward; 'LOOK' means to pay attention to the expression of the person with whom you are talking; and 'LISTEN'--means exactly that--is the best advice possible."
Cultivating the art of listening, giving your undivided attention to the person speaking. The endless effort to keep on thinking of further remarks is dismaying and the result is that the compulsive talker hears not a word said to him because he is desperately trying to think of what to say next.
b. Avoid arguments in conversation. It is proper, however, to indicate your disagreement.
c. Think before you speak. Most faults or mistakes in conversation are caused by not thinking and by lack of consideration.
d. Avoid criticism of a speaker in front of others or immediately after his performance.  Avoid jesting and all crudities of language and jokes. Jesting is too apt to turn into jeering, and what was meant to tickle makes a wound. It is a pity when one's mirth is another man's misery.
Before we rebuke another we must consider and take heed that we are not guilty of the kind of language to be used, for "he who cleanses a blot with inky fingers makes it worse.
THE PASTOR’S LANGUAGE AT THE PULPIT
According to Gold O.A. (2015) “during the worship service, every little action is important and the pastor who worth his salt should be careful to act and behave rightly when leading or assisting in worship. As an Ambassador of Christ, who himself is God’s representative at all times he should use polished language in all that he says or does.”  This means the pastor has a task to guide his speech on and the kind of talks and words presents while on the pulpit, the use of obscene languages in his illustrations should be avoided as well as discarded.  

The Pastor’s language at the Office
According to Norman L. Geisler, “If my private world is in order, it will be because I am convinced that the inner world of the spiritual must govern the outer world of activity.... If my private world is in order, it will be because I make a daily choice to monitor its state of orderliness.... If my private world is in order, it will be because I have made a daily determination to see time as God's gift and worthy of careful investment...If my private world is in order, it is because I have begun to seal the "time leaks" and allocate my productive hours in the light of my capabilities, my limits, and my priorities.” This should be the life of the pastor whose life is daily checked and monitored by him or herself, the language should be ordered and coordinated. Prov. 4:23 Assert that “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”
This is simply saying that no one can bring order to the dimensions of his inner, private life, or having done so can maintain it without rigid discipline. A man or woman may be multi-talented, possess enormous intelligence and remarkable communicative gifts, and yet end up squandering it all because of an inability to seize control of his or her language. The minister's life is the life of his ministry. In a life clothed with power comes powerful preaching. Looking into the scripture we see four interrelated connections between the message and the man who is preaching it.
 First we note a direct relationship between the power of the gospel and the kind of a man who preaches it. No better example can be given here than the Apostle Paul himself in his own words: "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake" (1 Thess. 1:4,5). Second, there is the direct relationship between the manner of his life, and the effectiveness of gospel power. Again this is exemplified in the Apostle himself when he writes, "Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and un-blameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe. As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children.... For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe" (1Thess. 2:10, 11, 13).
Third, we note the relationship between a carelessness in personal life and its deadening effect upon a man's influence… In this manner every pastor need be careful of his words and how he says what he is saying, he ought to be decorous at all time.
The Ideal Language Usage for the Pastor
The pastor is looked on as example, and not a reflection of a culture, according to Paul in Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” It’s a pleasant feelings to minimize what’s “like the world” so we can be as much like the world as we want to be. But let’s face it; some of the baser aspect of this culture being “bad language” is not fit for the Christian.
Therefore a pastor as a Christian is commanded to be kind and tender-hearted.
The pastor should take his cues from how the Bible uses of strong language, like it has been observed earlier, avoid arguments in conversation. It is proper, however, to indicate your disagreement, think before you say anything. And try to stay far from mistakes in conversation which are caused by not thinking and by lack of consideration. Avoid criticism of a speaker in front of others or immediately after his performance, Jesting is too apt to turn into jeering, and what was meant to tickle makes a wound. It is a pity when one's mirth is another man's misery avail yourself in understanding the people you’re caring and make your talks seasoned which in-turn brings you respect as a pastor and minister of the Gospel.
An ideal language is that which impress into the heart of the hearer peace

Conclusion
Conclusively every preacher should work out for himself a fundamental philosophy of life which is soundly Christian. Preacher, your task is to bring dignity to the ministry. By dignity we mean "worthiness, nobility, repute, honour, respect; the state or quality calculated to inspire awe or reverence; impressiveness; stateliness." Although we are living in an age in which respect for the ministry has been largely lost, it is still the task of the preacher to inspire or inculcate in the minds of the people the dignity due the gospel of Jesus Christ.









Bibliography
Rea andré (2008) Organisational behaviour: an introduction to your life in organization. New Jersey.
Parker Maxey  Wesleyan Heritage Publications. 1997, 1998

Alastair v. Campbell, A dictionary of Pastoral care. London,
Merriam-webster Dictionary
Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary
Scott, Foresman International Dictionary
The title of a work by Francis Schaeffer, first published in 1972.
Tonye .S. Snithers(2016) The Church: God’s Community of the Chosen. Nigeria Sniton-Images.