This is a text that I originally started work on in 2016. But I set it aside because I did not know exactly how I wanted to present the seven roles of a pastor. Those roles are elder, bishop, shepherd, preacher, teacher, servant, and messenger. An elder is a man of spiritual maturity who teaches and leads the flock of God. A bishop involves overseeing the needs of the flock. The shepherd cares for the flock. The preacher proclaims the gospel message to those in the assembly. The teacher explains the whole Bible. The servant ministers to the needs of others. The messenger delivers the message that the Lord has called him or her to deliver.

So in the following pages of this text, those roles will be explained and compared to what this author has called the liberal pastor. Chapters one through three list the ten commandments of the liberal pastor. Those commandments were created by me, the author. So one should take them for what they are worth. Then the rest of this text examines the seven roles of the pastor and explains how the liberal pastor fails in each of those roles because of the ten commandments of liberal pastors. No one should take this text too seriously. It only represents one person's opinion about pastors who are or are not doing their job, as this author thinks they should.

Now there is one final note to be made about the organization of this text before concluding this Introduction. Something that the reader might find useful is boxes throughout that show the different passages that are being referenced at the times and in the places where they are being referenced. That way, he or she will not have to jump all over the place or get into or out of the scriptures to locate a particular reference. Hopefully that inclusion will help the reader in trying to understand the various events and to also quickly put them into their right context. So it is hoped that that addition will make this text easier to read and that the Lord will receive the praise, honor, and glory that He rightfully deserves.