“The man of God will wait behind for counselling with anyone who needs it.” This was the statement of the host pastor after I finished ministering in a church. My response not only surprised him, but it also educated him on the role of guest speakers in a church; “No, I’m not waiting. You will counsel them as their pastor. You know your flock more than I do.” Perhaps my host did not understand ministerial ethics. But I do.
Friend, we need to understand ministerial ethics if the body of Christ will function as Christ intends it to function (1 Timothy 3:15). Ethics talks about the moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour or an activity. Every profession has its ethics. The church or ministry cannot be an exception. God is a God of order, and He blesses anyone and anywhere He finds it (1 Corinthians 14:40, Titus 1:5).
I earlier wrote about how to receive guest speakers. But this piece is about how guest speakers should approach the sacred opportunity given them to be a blessing in another church. You need to understand the sacredness of another man’s altar. This has been my mindset when honouring invitation to speak anywhere, even in campus fellowships. If you don’t recognise how sacred the altar you are invited to speak is, you would handle it carelessly and might even desecrate that altar without knowing (1 Samuel 2:11-18, Hebrews 3:1-2).
Always see it as a privilege for a man of God to allow you minister on his pulpit. It is not about who is more anointed between you both. It is about honouring the labour that your host has put on that altar. Don’t just jump on another man’s altar and start firing or misfiring. Treat it with the honour and sacredness it deserves under God (1 Timothy 1:11-12).
Your job as a guest speaker is to strengthen the work of your host (1 Corinthians 3:6). It is not to show how sound or anointed you are. If you are not conscious of this, you might be destroying the work that you think you are building (1 Corinthians 3:9-15). I have had to tone down the power of my calling in a place when I perceived it was drawing love and attention away from my host to me (3 John 1:9).
People must love their church and pastor better after you minister in a place. If otherwise, you have done a bad job as a guest speaker (Galatians 1:6-10). Don’t use your host for illustrations on the pulpit, except he is officially a son to you in the ministry. It reduces his worth before his flock. There are other people or leaders you can use in the church. Don’t correct the members or the church practice. Let the Holy Spirit do His work.
Don’t collect phone numbers or counsel the members of the church behind your host. Always go through your host to reach his flock. Otherwise, you are a thief (John 10:7-10). Don’t speak against the doctrine, practice, or style of the man of God either intentionally or unintentionally. Don’t put down your host or rubbish his labour. Remember that his labour over the church is what gave you the opportunity to minister there in the first place.
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria