Should A Pastor Visit Every Hospitalized Member Of A Church?

Is the pastor required to visit every hospitalized church member? Is it his alone to do?

Commanded of God

There is no doubt that the command to visit those who are sick applies to all believers and not just the pastor, elder, deacon, or deaconess. James writes that the definition of pure religion is partly that of visiting the orphans and the widows in their afflictions (James 1:27) and that would include shut-ins, those in nursing homes, and those who are sick and in the hospital. Jesus will say to those who did such things, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt 25:34) but they will wonder, when had they ever done this for Jesus? Jesus says when “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (Matt 25:35) but they will not remember doing these things (Matt 25:36-38) but Jesus will say to them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matt 25:40). The point is, we are all to go into the hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons, help the poor, feed the hungry, and so on but it’s not just the pastor’s job to do all these things, although he too must do at least some of these things.

Visiting the Sick

I see no reason why the pastor shouldn’t visit as many church members as possible who are sick or fighting a disease in the hospital. Only if the congregation is too large for any one man to do this should others be engaged in this. This is where the deacons come in. Our deacon keeps in touch with the sick, some shut ins, and others who haven’t been to church for a while. I love the idea that if someone isn’t there at church for a time that someone notices it and that they care enough to go and check on them. The pastor can’t always notice when someone’s gone so he needs the help of his deacons, or in our cause, our only deacon, but we also have a deaconess who functions in much the same way. She brings prayer requests from these shut ins, church members now in nursing homes or in assisted care living centers, and those in the community who have needs.

Job Descriptions

I’ve seen many different job descriptions for pastors but rarely have I seen the duties include visiting those who are sick and in the hospital. Perhaps it’s because they believe that he should be doing this anyway and so he should, but it’s not a bad idea if this were part of the pastor’s job description in the event that a new pastor is being considered. It’s good for him to know what’s expected of him, however, I believe there shouldn’t be any qualifiers to the number of visits or that it would be incumbent upon him to be sure everyone in the hospital is visited. Some may not want any visits while others are dismissed from the hospital or surgery center the same day they have surgery. Sometimes it is logistically not possible. One man can only be in one place at a time.

Elders, Deacons, and Deaconess’

There is also other leadership offices or positions in the church that should be part of the pastor’s support and they too, as they are able, should try to visit the sick, the shut ins, and those in the nursing home so everything won’t have to fall on the pastor’s shoulders. It shouldn’t anyway because the other members of the body of Christ, the church, should want to visit sick members in the hospital, especially those they are closer friends with. As with most elders, deacons, and deaconess,’ they work, but often the pastor works too, being bi-vocational. This is a good reason to have a deacon’s meeting at least once a month. We have ours on the first Tuesday of the month. We look at the needs of the church, examine problematic areas, pray for the members and one another, and fill each other in about others who are sick or in nursing homes or a shut in.

Conclusion

There are somethings that should be expected but these may not be obvious to everyone, so it is wise to include the expectation of the pastor visiting the sick to be part of his job description. Most that I know of don’t feel obligated to visit the sick; they feel compelled to do so by their compassion. It’s important to remember that some cancer patients or patients with other illnesses or diseases might not be able to have company due to putting the patient at risk by exposing them to other germs or illnesses. Respect the wishes of the hospital and the wishes of the patient. Hospitality and visitation should never be forced on anyone against their will. That’s not what love does (1st Cor 13:1-15).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.