It is common to think of the pastor as a preacher. Preaching is well established as one of the roles expected of most pastors. But a simple flip of the terms might help us appreciate one of the most overlooked roles of the preacher. Not only do pastors preach, but preachers pastor.

The pastoral role is that of a shepherd, one of the primary New Testament metaphors for the work of ministry. The shepherd’s primary function is to ensure the well-being of the sheep, who would not do well without the shepherd’s “pastoral” care.

This care shows itself as provision and protection, making sure the sheep are fed and kept clear of predators. It shows itself as leadership and looking after, assuring the sheep know where they should go and that they feel comfortable as they go. The shepherd’s only value is ensuring the sheep are delivered healthy and sound. He or she acts entirely in service of that end.

The language of shepherding is so common within the Bible and the church that we might have forgotten the scandal it suggests. I have never seen “shepherd” listed among the most admired professions. To this day, it is a dirty, solitary, monotonous work, with little to recommend it, except for those who love the sheep. You have to love sheep if you are going to shepherd them.

Preaching is a means of shepherding, the Bible serving as the shepherd’s crook. It is by means of our preaching that we provide the nourishment that sustains the sheep and keeps them healthy. It is our preaching that protects them from a false gospel and from those voices that might lead them astray. By our preaching, we lead our sheep beside quiet waters and to the table of plenty. Preaching God’s Word is the means by which we bring the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that His sheep will recognize His voice. That voice is often heard through preaching.

I am often asked to name the preachers who have had the largest impact on my homiletic work. I presume they expect me to name some famous preacher whom they already know by reputation. But they seldom know the names I offer. The most influential preachers in my life have been the ones who pastored me, the ones who backed their words with their lives when I was there to see it. The preachers I have loved the most are the ones who loved me first—almost like Jesus, who defined love for me by the giving of Himself.

My current pastor, whose given name is Wesley, has impressed me more by his care than by his eloquence. He is a fine preacher by all of the conventional measures, but it is his love for me that has the most effect. It is his care for me that helps give his preaching power as I listen. It is by that preaching that I am nurtured and kept safe.

It is said of some that they are better pastors than they are preachers. That is often spoken with a wistful sense of disappointment, as if the work of the pastor is somehow beneath the loftier aspirations of the preacher. It is true that some are better at giving care than oratory, but over the long haul, I know which ones I would choose.

There are preachers who intend to build a platform by their preaching. The crowd is their reward. Then there are those who seek to build a person by their preaching. The Kingdom is their reward.

Kenton C. Anderson serves as President of Providence University College and Theological Seminary in Otterburne, Manitoba, Canada.