ShepherdLeader.com

I believe gate keeping is a job I am to share with my elders / board. It is a job that we discuss at staff meetings, and with our small group leaders. So you would think that in the church family I am a part of that we were well guarded: small group leaders, ministry leaders, board and pastors. Perhaps we are, but still bad things come in and some sheep get stolen away. I can rationalize some of this with Scripture where we're told that like seed some will take root but most will be eaten; grow in shallow ground and die, or just plain burn out in the sun. But I choose not to rationalize too much so to be able to own a little bit more responsibility as a gatekeeper.

I choose to understand that part of my role as pastor is to protect the church family from "thieves", spiritual abusers, heresy, etc. But I have learned that these people do not necessarily wear badges that identify themselves as such! I can't always pick out a spiritually abusive person a mile away - often they get much closer than a mile! Sometimes they are heart-close before you realize what has just happened. Alone I am inadequate in this role as gate keeper.

To be a gatekeeper means not doing the job alone, and it means that church will never be an airtight vault - by nature it can never be. Rather if we gate keep in a community of leaders then we have a community of leaders to help with the clean up and healing after a loss.