Chapter 3: Church Government

Shepherding and the Care of Souls

The shepherd’s calling is to tend the flock of God, not to manage it. In 1 Peter 5:2-3, pastors are exhorted to “shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”

Pastor Chuck Smith often reminded his fellow pastors, “Feed the sheep; don’t beat them.” Biblical counseling reflects that same heart. The shepherd’s role is to feed God’s people the Word, to love them through the seasons of life, and to guide them gently back to the Chief Shepherd.

At the Calvary Chapel Fellowship of Biblical Counselors, we teach that shepherding and counseling are inseparable. Pastoral leadership is not expressed through policy but through presence. The Ministering Servant carries the shepherd’s heart into every counseling moment — nurturing, guiding, and restoring.

Pastor Bob Hoekstra described true shepherding as “participation in the sanctification process of others through the means of grace.” When leaders equip the saints in this way, the whole church becomes an instrument of healing.

The pastor equips; the body ministers. As Ephesians 4:12 states, pastors and teachers exist “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” The goal is not control but maturity — a church where every believer cares for others under the authority of Christ.

“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”

1 Peter 5:4