“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”
(Matthew 5:14)
Doesn’t the title of this article sound funny? Or should we call it a field of study? It does sound funny. It reminds me of a story I heard during my brief time in the university of some students who were trying to get admission into the university. When the results of their entrance exam into the university came out students go to check their score when it was pasted on the notice board. But some who knew full well that they didn’t do well in the exams would stay back and when others come back they ask them, “did I get the admission?” Knowing that the person asking wasn’t given admission they’ll respond, “yes you have been given admission.” Their faces will brighten up with shock and excitement wondering at the miracle that must have happened. Usually, in Nigeria if you didn’t get up to the cutoff mark for the course of your choice they’ll give you another similar course but considered less relevant to the course of your choice, so the next question naturally is, “which course was I given?” Then they’ll respond, “Yoruba engineering.” It was then that it will dawn on them that they weren’t successful in getting an admission into the university.
It may be only a matter of time before we start hearing of fields of studies like Yoruba engineering. And there may be a time when we shall start having pastors of sociology, pastors of anthropology, pastors of psychology, and even pastors of criminology. These very futuristic pastoral ministries all sound as funny as Yoruba engineering and indeed it was meant to be humorous, yet unlike Yoruba engineering, the thing I’m going to present here is meant to be meaningful too. Very meaningful, so stick with me.
Who Is A Pastor Of Sociology?
“They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.”
(Isaiah 49:10)
“And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
(Jeremiah 3:15)
So who is a pastor of sociology? Though we all know who a pastor is it is yet imperative for us to take another look at it as the notion we have of the post of a pastor is quite inaccurate. Today a pastor is a commercial preacher, AKA hireling, yet there is nothing in the Bible that suggests to us that there is an office in the church such as a commercial preacher. Yes they are supposed to be supported financially, but not to be pastors as a means of making a living. The Bible says of an elder, “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.” (1 Timothy 5:17), and this refers to money because the next verse says, “For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.” (1 Timothy 5:18). Yet much earlier in the same chapter it says, “Honour widows that are widows indeed.” (1 Timothy 5:3). So if we can’t say that a widow is a commercial widow, neither can we say an elder or a pastor is a commercial pastor. Rather it means both these people should be supported financially. So the idea of pastors we have today is quite erroneous.
So a true pastor is a shepherd of the sheep. The sheepfold of Christ. They are meant to feed the sheep with spiritual food good for them. They are to guide them in paths that are good for them and ensure their overall wellbeing. They feed the sheep with knowledge and understanding. They do this mainly by preaching. Of course there are a lot of study and work that go into every sermon and there are other ways they serve the sheep, so their work is not just preaching, but what they do that impacts the sheep directly is mainly preaching. So he basically a preacher. That is who a pastor is.
Now what is sociology? One definition says sociology is the study of human problems. Interesting. So a person can just be dedicated to studying problems? To what end? To gossip around with it? Another definition puts it in a clearer light. It says, “sociology is the study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society.” But from my study of sociology I’d say it is a study of the society to know its problems, the causes of those problems, the dynamics of society, the causative factors of each development, and all this with the aim of enhancing the wellbeing of the society and solving societal problems. This is what sociology is.
So a pastor of sociology is one who studies and understands human problems and digs into the treasures of God’s word to find solutions to all these problems. They present a view of the world through the eyes of God and through their words actively seek to shape the world to how God wants it. Not only does he just preach these things, he also labours in shaping society after the will of God. He first preaches to his congregation which is a Christian fold so they can go into the world and live as God wishes them to live, and also promote the efficacious solutions to human problems that can be found in scriptures. While their main attention is the fold of Christ, they may also go into the world to teach the ideals of society as prescribed by God, proving and making them understand why these view of things are so beneficial. In the world they may preach on what is good with many proofs without even mentioning a word from the Bible. This is when speaking to people who don’t acknowledge the authority of the Bible. The Bible is true and its claims are of necessity beneficial to man. It is the duty of a good Bible student to know how to prove and defend the rightness of the stance of the Bible, even without reference to it when that is required. Where else can man find solutions to his problems than through the manual the Creator made for his creation?
To be a Pastor of Sociology one has to know God thoroughly to understand his thoughts towards his creation. Here’s what Selwyn Hughes has to say on the importance of knowing God and seeing the world through his eyes:
“There is nothing more important, in my view, than gaining knowledge of God through contemplation of him. And this knowledge is not mere intellectual knowledge. The knowledge of God that is acquired through contemplation of him gives us the ability to see life from his perspective, through his eyes. When we know God we can look at life’s circumstances through the lens of faith, bearing in mind his plan.”
Oh how differently shall our view of life and our conduct be when we learn to see all things in this earth through the eyes of God. It is a common practice that whatsoever one does he must subject it the view of others to get a perfect work. If you write, you must subject it to the view of an editor. Even if you won’t get an editor to go through your work, you still need friends or family to volunteer to proofread it. If you have a business plan, it is wise to present it to another who will go through. For this reason there’s always a need to hold a counsel before any major decision and action. In war, this is called counsel of war. In the church, this is called ecumenical counsel. And so the book of Proverbs repletes with the importance of counsel. It says, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14), “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” (Proverbs 15:22), “Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.” (Proverbs 20:18), and “For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Proverbs 24:6). These verses tells us that safety and success comes by counsel. By subjecting your thoughts to the view of others. When it says safety, it means venturing with minimal risk. When you take different views of different people on a matter, you get a more perfect understanding of it. The wiser those in your circle of counsellors are the better for you. The science of how this works or why it is the case is a discussion for another day.
Seeing the importance of subjecting our ideas to the view of others, it becomes evident that when, as men, we have any view of things, we ought to step back and look at it through the eyes of God. We ought to subject it to the scrutiny of scriptures. I have noticed that man doesn’t care for ethics and ethicality of anything they do. Profit is Lord.
As I write this lines I got an employment in which we verbally negotiated for a closing time of 3pm but on paper was adjusted by them to 4pm. And when I resumed work they started telling me stories of how the previous person used to sleep over to get tasks completed supposing that I too could be led to do likewise. I looked at these people wondering what exactly is going through their minds. Is this some kind of futuristic negotiation tactics? Whatever they think they’re doing, through the eyes of God it is purely unethical. It is deceit. But because they suppose that they’ll get more work from me for less (having negotiated less for a closing time of 3pm) they do it all the same. The fact is, they have not looked at their actions through the eyes of God so much as to desist from it.
Things would be way better if men learn to see all things and weigh their actions through the eyes of God. Indeed all things in society must be looked at through the eyes of God if the society is truly thrive. And who else can help the society see through the eyes of God than the Pastor of Sociology?
A Biblical Pastor Of Sociology
“And the people asked him [John the Baptist], saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them…”
(Luke 3:10)
One very renowned pastor of sociology was John the Baptist. As he baptised and began to preach about the kingdom of God, the people that came to be baptised began to ask him what they were to do. Here is how it played out:
“And the people asked him [John the Baptist], saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.” (Luke 3:10 – 14)
He did not delve into some doctrinal sermon, rather what he said were strictly sociological. Here he handled the solution to some of the problems of society namely, generosity and thoughtfulness towards others, honesty and contentment in public service, refusal to abuse ones office, etc. These things are indeed solutions to some of the biggest problems of society.
To John these sociological solutions constitutes works of repentance. In other words they are the works of righteousness. Before the people asked him what to do, he said, “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance…” (Luke 3:8). This was what led to his sermon of sociology. This informs us that the solutions to the problems of society is purely religious and so must be religiously sought. It is no wonder that a very large chunk of the Bible is sociological. When those who study the word of God don’t proffer sociological solutions to world through the eyes of God, then they’re withholding from the world the good they deserve from us.
Historical And Temporal Pastors Of Theology
“Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed… These things teach and exhort.”
(1 Timothy 6:1 – 2)
When I was growing up the kind of Christian training I received was an excellent one but it could have been more excellent still. My training focused on pleasing God, choosing the things that God commands and hating the things he hates, being heaven conscious, there is heaven, and there is hell, and all those kinds of things. However, there was no connection between my religious and secular life. If my memory isn’t failing me (as I trust it isn’t), what God desires for society and what roles God wants me to play in society was conspicuously absent. The religious life and the secular life were presented as two distinct parts of a person’s life with the religious rightly placed over the secular. I was taught that religious values should govern the secular such as being honest in your secular place of learning and work, not cheating in exams, etc. So it was good and excellent in most parts, however, it was when I started to read for myself that I bumped into some writings of pastors of sociology that opened my eyes to this field of study and consequently the importance of what we can possibly call Christian activism.
Some of the writings of Dr. Selwyn Hughes had elements of pastoral sociology. I remember once when he spoke about Christ never being hurried or flurried. He pulled up verses of the Bible that showed how calm Christ was to teach about planning. He said that with adequate planning one will almost never find himself in a case where he’d be hurried and flurried. He’d be as calm as Christ was at all circumstances. Planning therefore was presented to the Christian as a religious virtue to be cultivated. How far more more efficient, prosperous, and happy will a society be when her people imbibe a good practice of planning.
I read the book “A CHRISTIAN IN A NON-CHRISTIAN WORLD,” by Charles Seeth. I’ve referred to this book severally in a number of my writings. The author speaks of how a Christian ought to conduct himself in a non-Christian world. He spoke on a wide range of sociological issues and how to handle them in the light of scriptures. It is not just the teaching of “don’t steal, don’t lie, and don’t commit fornication.” It is a practical book that puts the reader in a non-Christian and how he should conduct himself in each.
I also came by an audio book titled, “THE AGE OF PURITANS,” and in it was a writing by one Christopher Love. His treaties was titled, “Scripture Rules To Be Observed In Buying And Selling.” He talked a lot about fair practices in trade bringing out verses of scriptures that should guide us in dealing fairly when we transact businesses with one another. That too was sociological.
I strongly recommend these books and writings to you the reader. Each and every one.
When I came by these and other similar books, it made me realise that the Bible has instructions for secular life and to handle sociological issues. From that time on whenever I read the Bible my eyes were open to receive these instructions, and oh, what a blessing it has been to look at the world, society, and all secular affair through the eyes of God.
From observations through the reading of the Bible I realise that we have need of pastors of sociology. Both the church and the world have need of them. Preachers can never consistently render timely messages without good reference to sociological problems of the times.
I remember listening to a sermon by a very fine Christian preacher of our time, very rare for me to call a preacher of today a fine Christian, but he is. His sermon was indeed a sermon of sociology. At the very start of this administration in Nigeria of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at the time of writing these lines, fuel subsidy was removed which forced people to have to adjust to new realities. While the decision was right, timely, even overdue, and necessary, it exposed people to what we can call a necessary hardship. People found it really hard to adjust. In a time such as that many of the contemporaries of this fine Christian preacher were preaching empty sermons and doing the work of a bad physician and not addressing the issues bothering people. But this fine Christian preacher, a pastor of sociology, came to our church and took the current situation of the country and dealt with it. Starting from the verse that says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13), he first of all addressed the prevalent error people preach with this verse humorously saying, “if you think this verse means that through Christ’s strength you can do everything you so wish, meet me after the service and I will show you hundred things you can’t do.” Then he proceeded to read few verses before that reads, “… I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” (Philippians 4:11 – 12). He pointed out that when the apostle Paul said he can do all things it means he can abound and suffer want according to the strength which Christ gives. From here he went on to teach how a Christian ought to live in times like this and still manage their economy well. He taught us pulling out of his vast experience how to survive hard times. He taught as a father, a shepherd, an elder, as a person who has insight on the state of things, as a pastor of sociology. What a blessing that sermon was.
He provided a solution to the sociological problem of the time by looking at the problem through the eyes of God. Times were tough and fear and apprehension filled the air but men remembered, “I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!”
This sermon instilled courage, resolve, and the understanding to confront and surmount the problem they dreaded and was staring them in the face most gracefully. Through the eyes of God, the circumstances of the world would wear a smiling face.
The Bible has a good piece of advice for every situation of human society. In the Bible you find instructions on justice, fairness in business, standardisation, how to deal with the poor, societal welfare programs for the poor, how to deal with employers and how employers are to deal with employees, etc. All those and much more are found in the Bible. And when we observe these things in the light of sociology, we shall find these stance of scriptures to be perfect and that humanity is dying for the lack of the knowledge of these things or these way of life. There’s a lot that the Pastor of Sociology has to offer his world.
Conclusion
“Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.”
(Isaiah 1:17)
We shall stop here for now so that the article does not become too lengthy. I shall publish the part 2 soon.
In summary, there is a need for the church to step into its office of addressing social problems and beautifying the Gospel. This is the way to be the light of the world. This is the way to be the salt of earth. The church needs to produce pastors of sociology to give man direction in the ways of God in his secular affairs.
Thank you and God bless you.
Prayer: Dear Father and Lord. Teach us the beautiful service of working towards your will being done in the earth as it is in heaven. Help us to be vigilant and tactful in this endeavour. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
