To often the work of the ministry is seen as the vocation of pastors. Though pastors are to minister to others, they are not the only ones who are ministers. Ephesians 4:12 indicates that a central role of the pastor is to equip others for ministry. Ministry is to be conducted by the saints as well as the pastor. It is interesting that in Acts 6:1-6 the Apostles appointed others to minister at tables so they could devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word of God.
When the Apostle Paul writes to a young pastor in Ephesus, his charge to him is to preach the Word of God. Paul himself saw even baptism as secondary to his role of preaching (1 Cor. 1:17). The primary focus of Paul's ministry was to preach the Word of God. The church is given apostles, evangelists, pastors and teachers (pastors and teachers are sometimes seen as referring to the same office) to equip the saints for the work of ministry.
When the pastor is seen as the "minister" of the congregation and the saints pull back from ministering to each other the pastor is not able to devote himself to the ministry of the Word as much as he ought to. Many pastors fill their days with calls to the sick, visiting shut-ins, committee meetings, counseling sessions, and many other things which are imposed upon them from a demanding congregation. If the saints saddle the pastor with all of the obligations of ministry he has little time left for the ministry of the Word. We all have a part to play in the body of Christ. No person is to fill all the roles of ministry (1 Cor. 12:14-20), but when we all do our part the body of Christ can grow to the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:13).
