How to Choose a Pastor With One Simple Question

Continuing Thoughts on the Necessity to Know God

In this next year, you might find yourself looking for a pastor.  Or, you may be on social media and find that many pastors are vying for your attention.  Choosing a pastor is one of the most important decisions for any church or congregation. A pastor is called to preach the Word of God, shepherd the flock, and guide believers in their spiritual growth. However, the sobering reality is that not everyone who claims to be a pastor is fit for the role. Wolves in sheep’s clothing exist, and he can lead a congregation astray with unsound doctrine or unexamined assumptions. How can you know if a person is qualified to be your pastor? A simple but profound test can reveal much about a potential pastor: ask him why he believes God exists.

If this pastor is asking you for attention on social media, you can easily comment with, “Can you show me it is clear God exists?”  If the pastor is doing so in person, then you don’t want to interrupt him, but before you give any money, you can put a card in the basket with the question, “Can you show me it is clear God exists?”  You might get a response with one of the failed answers detailed below or you might not get a response.  Either way, you’ve got your answer.  However, if you find a pastor who can show you that it is clear God exists, you know, this is someone who has foundational truths in place and is competent in the use of reason.

Why is that the question?  Doesn’t a pastor need leadership, language, and people skills?  Yes, I didn’t say this is the only question.  I said it is the first and best question for weeding out the unqualified.  If a pastor is to proclaim the Word of God with authority, their teaching must rest on a firm foundation: the reality of God. If he can’t even show that God is real, he won’t be able to do the rest.  He can believe that God is real, and he can teach that God is real, but if he can’t actually show that God is real, then he has no leg to stand on.  There are many other areas of life where their skills can be used.

Clear General Revelation Taught in Special Revelation

Sin begins in not seeking and not understanding.  Isaiah begins with God saying, “My people do not know me.”  Ezekiel says the same thing even as it is repeated again and again “And they will know that I am the Lord.”  Jesus reprimands the Pharisees for not knowing God.  Paul says of himself that he acted in unbelief.  We are called to repent of unbelief and for not seeking God.  To not know God is a sin because God is clearly revealed. 

The Scriptures themselves declare that God’s eternal power and divine nature are clearly revealed through creation (Romans 1:20), leaving humanity without excuse. A pastor’s ability to demonstrate the reality of God is not an optional skill or a secondary concern—it is essential to their calling. Without it, their sermons, teaching, and guidance risk being built on sand rather than the solid rock of truth.

Similarly, when the faithful are listed in Hebrews 11, a faithful person is someone who knows that the universe was created by the Word of God and not out of something visible.  That is, God has existed from eternity and created the heavens and the earth (they had a beginning).  This is where both Moses and John begin–at the beginning.  There was a beginning, and God was already there (he is eternal); there is no eternal universe, nor is there an eternal cycle. A pastor should know why this is true and not merely assert it is true.  That is to know the eternal power of God.  

The role of a pastor is not merely to inspire or provide moral instruction; it is to shepherd a congregation in the truth of God’s Word and equip them to defend their faith against doubt and error–to provide the knowledge of God, which is eternal life. A pastor who cannot provide a sound argument for God’s existence is not adequately equipped for that task. At best, he offers a weak and vulnerable foundation for his teaching. At worst, he may unwittingly lead his flock into confusion, skepticism, or misplaced faith.

A pastor must do more than assert belief in God or rely on the congregation’s preexisting faith. He must be able to explain why that faith as trust in the promises of God presupposes that the faithful person knows God is real. This requirement is not about intellectual elitism but about fidelity to the truth. In fact, it is sad that this would even seem elite rather than a common and ordinary expectation.  If it is clear, then it is something all people can know.  If a pastor cannot articulate a clear, logical, and sound basis for the existence of God, how can he effectively teach others about His nature, His works, or His will?

To demonstrate the gravity of this requirement, let us examine three types of pastors who fail this fundamental test and why their leadership should be approached with caution or avoided altogether. These examples underscore the importance of choosing a pastor who can clearly and convincingly show that the God of the Bible exists as an example of the quality of his thought life.

1. The Fideist Pastor: “I Feel That God is Real”

The fideist pastor bases his belief in God on subjective feelings or personal experiences, confusing personal conviction with objective truth. When asked why he believes in God, his response often revolves around how he feels God’s presence in his life or how his faith has profoundly changed him. He may recount a personal testimony describing how his life improved after coming to believe in God and then expect this to serve as evidence of God’s existence. He often relies on platitudes about how the heart has reasons the mind doesn’t know, faith is when we must believe what we know ain’t so, and we must believe without or in pursuit of understanding. 

While such experiences can be meaningful and transformative, he did not provide an adequate basis for grounding the faith of others. Subjective feelings are inherently unstable and vary from person to person. What one individual feels to be true may be contradicted by another’s equally sincere feelings. For example, adherents of other religions or even secular philosophies often report life-changing experiences and a deep sense of certainty about his beliefs. A Buddhist might feel the truth of the Eightfold Path just as strongly as a fideist pastor feels the truth of Christianity. This raises an important question: if feelings can validate conflicting beliefs, how can he reliably point to objective truth?  Why have blind faith in Theism rather than Buddhism? As soon as the pastor attempts to answer, he no longer relies on his feelings, and his argument can be evaluated for soundness. 

The problem with fideism is that it places the weight of faith on a fragile foundation. Human emotions and experiences are fickle, subject to change, and often shaped by circumstances. What happens when the fideist pastor encounters personal tragedy or spiritual dryness? If his belief in God is grounded solely in how he feels, what is left to sustain his faith during seasons of doubt? Moreover, how can such a pastor guide his congregation when members face similar struggles? Faith based on fleeting emotions is ill-equipped to withstand the intellectual and spiritual challenges that believers inevitably encounter.

A fideist pastor also fails to fulfill the biblical mandate to provide reasons for faith. Scripture encourages believers to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). This requires more than personal testimony; it demands a reasoned defense of the truth of Christianity that appeals to both heart and mind. By relying on subjective feelings, the fideist pastor falls short of this standard and risks leading his congregation into a similarly shallow understanding of faith.

Such a pastor might inspire temporary confidence in his congregation, especially among those who share similar emotional experiences. However, when these feelings waver—as they inevitably do—the foundation of faith collapses. A pastor’s role is not to teach people to rely on his own emotions but to equip them to stand firm on the objective reality of God’s existence, which is independent of his personal feelings.

This pastor is demonstrating to us that he does not know God.  He believes in God, and he claims to feel God, but he does not know God.  He hasn’t yet done the first thing in seeking God.  He won’t be able to help you do what he hasn’t done. In short, the fideist pastor is unable to provide the intellectual depth and stability that a congregation needs to grow in faith. A pastor who cannot distinguish between subjective certainty and objective truth is not prepared to lead God’s people effectively.

2. The Illogical Pastor: “God Exists Because I Start With God”

The illogical pastor relies on circular reasoning to justify belief in God, confusing intellectual rigor with dogmatic assertion. When asked why he believes in God, he might respond with statements such as, “I start with belief in God as my axiom,” or “The Bible, which is the Word of God, says that God exists.” These arguments are not only logically flawed but also fail to provide a meaningful basis for faith.

The Problem of Circular Reasoning

Circular reasoning occurs when someone assumes the very thing he is trying to prove. In this case, the illogical pastor asserts that belief in God is true because he starts with that belief or because a source he presupposes to be authoritative (e.g., the Bible) says so. For example, he might argue: “The Bible is the Word of God because it says it is, and because it is the Word of God, what it says must be true.” While this may feel compelling to those already committed to the truth of Scripture, it provides no basis for persuading those who are skeptical or seeking understanding. Any other religion can give the same circular argument.

Circular reasoning fails to offer an intellectually satisfying answer because it does not engage with the actual question: How do you know that God is real? Instead of building a logical argument that others can examine and test, the illogical pastor retreats into circularity, effectively shutting down dialogue.

The “Starting Point” Defense

Some illogical pastors attempt to justify their circular reasoning by claiming that every worldview must begin with certain assumptions, and he chooses to start with belief in God. This approach insists that God must be presupposed as the foundation for all knowledge. He might argue that belief in God is necessary to make sense of morality, logic, or the intelligibility of the universe. While this argument has its proponents, it often becomes another form of circular reasoning when pressed for further justification. For example, if the pastor claims that only theism can account for morality, he must still demonstrate why his specific view of theism is true, rather than simply asserting it as the starting point.  Further, this pastor is not really starting with theism he is starting with the law of non-contradiction and then arguing that all forms of non-theism violate that law.

Sometimes, this view is also expressed in the “everyone already knows God” reply.  It is easy to prove that “everyone already knows God” is false; just ask people.  They can’t even define “God” correctly, let alone show that God is real.  What this pastor probably means is that everyone is “aware” of God. But even that is not true.  Or perhaps he is giving you the “innate ideas” answer, but an idea is not knowledge.  Even if we have innate ideas, we must give an argument to show that they are accurate rather than flawed.  All thinking humans have the idea of “eternal–without beginning,” but they don’t know what is eternal because they don’t seek or understand. 

Other religions and philosophies also claim foundational assumptions, such as naturalism or pantheism. If the illogical pastor dismisses these claims without argument while his own assumptions are upheld without evidence, he reveals inconsistency in his reasoning. To the discerning observer, this approach does not defend Christianity but rather exposes its proponent to charges of intellectual inconsistency.

Failing the Test of Reason

While it is true that all belief systems have a starting point, basic belief, axiom, or presupposition, it is false to say these cannot be tested.  We use reason (the laws of thought such as non-contradiction) to examine the various basic beliefs.  By relying on circular arguments, the illogical pastor demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of how reasoning and argumentation work. A sound argument for God’s existence does not presuppose its conclusion but uses the laws of thought to give a sound argument. This pastor should be able to show that something must be eternal, that the material world and the human soul are not eternal, and that only God is eternal.

If a pastor has not yet learned these skills, he is not ready. Watch what happens next.  If the potential pastor concedes that there is a lack of education and looks to remedy it, then this is promising.  But if instead he begins to argue that we do not need to learn competence in the use of reason or show that God exists, get away from him as quickly as you can. 

An illogical pastor may exude confidence and authority, but his reasoning is ultimately shallow and unsatisfying. His approach leaves the congregation vulnerable to doubt when challenged by skeptical arguments or competing worldviews. Instead of equipping believers with the intellectual tools to defend their faith, this pastor conditions them to accept beliefs without question, fostering a blind faith that is easily shaken.

A pastor’s role is not only to preach but also to teach, guiding their congregation to love God with all their heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). It is to help the congregation know God, which is eternal life.  If the pastor doesn’t even know if God is real, what is he doing? The illogical pastor, by failing to engage the mind, undermines this calling. He may teach biblical truths, but his inability to provide a rational foundation for those truths limits his effectiveness as a shepherd of God’s people and raises questions bout his own repentance of unbelief. 

3. The Insufficient Pastor: “God Exists, But Which God?”

The insufficient pastor represents a step forward from the fideist and illogical pastors, as he at least attempts to provide a rational argument for God’s existence. This pastor sees the need to do so and wants to do so. However, his efforts often fall short because his arguments fail to establish the God of Christianity as revealed in general and special revelation. Instead, his reasoning points to a vague or generic concept of a supreme being—one that is compatible with non-Christian worldviews, such as Greek dualism, deism, or other philosophies that do not affirm the biblical God.

The Problem with Generic Theism

While any rational argument for the existence of a supreme being or a designer might seem like a good starting point, the insufficiency of such arguments becomes clear when examined closely. For example, an insufficient pastor might present an argument akin to Aristotle’s concept of the “unmoved mover.” Aristotle reasoned that there must be an eternal, unchanging cause of motion in the universe. Aristotle’s “unmoved mover” is co-eternal with the material world, meaning it exists alongside creation rather than being its Creator. Furthermore, Aristotle’s concept lacks the personal attributes of the biblical God, such as wisdom, justice, and love.  Aristotle’s unmoved mover is a false god.

Other insufficient pastors may rely on design arguments that point to a finite, powerful designer who orders the universe but lacks the omnipotence, omniscience, and moral perfection of the God revealed in general and special revelation. Such arguments are consistent with deism, which posits a God who creates and orders the world but remains distant and uninvolved in human affairs. A finite designer may explain order and complexity in the world but cannot account for the problem of evil, the need for redemption, or the relational nature of God.

While these arguments may succeed in demonstrating the plausibility of some kind of divine being, he falls far short of affirming the God of Christianity, who is infinite, eternal, and unchanging in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. A pastor who cannot move beyond these insufficient arguments fails to ground his congregation’s faith in the full reality of God as revealed in Scripture and creation.

The Danger of Insufficiency

The insufficient pastor’s failure to present a robust argument for the Christian God leaves his congregation vulnerable to competing worldviews. A vague or generic concept of God does not address the deepest questions of human existence, such as the nature of morality, the reality of sin, or the need for salvation. It also opens the door to syncretism, where elements of other religious or philosophical systems are blended with Christianity, diluting its distinctiveness and truth.  He hasn’t helped his congregation move past the idolatry of Egypt or Greece. 

For example, a congregation exposed only to insufficient arguments may encounter philosophical challenges, such as atheistic critiques of deism or the problem of evil, and find their faith shaken because their pastor has not equipped them with a clear and comprehensive understanding of God. Alternatively, he may be drawn to non-Christian spiritualities that offer a more personal or relational view of the divine, mistakenly believing that these alternatives are consistent with the arguments he has heard.  A pastor must be able to teach is congregation to know God and recognize idols.

Moving Beyond Insufficiency

The arguments provided by the insufficient pastor are not inherently wrong, but they are incomplete. They may serve as a starting point, but they must be followed by a complete proof.  The problem is, why didn’t this pastor see this himself?  If he loves God and seeks to know Him, why was he content with insufficient proofs.  This indicates a deeper problem in his life.  He wants to have authority but he doesn’t want to do the work needed to know God.

An adequate pastor does not stop at proving the existence of a generic deity but takes the next step to affirm the reality of the God who reveals Himself in creation, history, and Scripture. He equips his congregation with a firm foundation for faith, enabling them to understand and defend their belief in the God of the Bible.

The Standard Objection

The standard objection is, “Now hold, wait a minute; no one in the Bible does what you are suggesting.  He just believes and then lives based on that belief.”  If a pastor tells you this, run even faster.  This pastor has not read the Bible with any care, nor has he understood general revelation which the Bible itself tells us to do.

The eternal power of God is clearly revealed.  The patriarchs competed with belief systems that claimed something besides or in addition to God is eternal.  Moses refuted the wisdom of Egypt.  God directed Job to consider his works of creation.  David gives us arguments from creation in the Psalms.  Solomon does the same in Ecclesiastes.  Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and his friends, et al., demonstrate the truth about Yahweh and the fiction of idolatry.  When Paul addresses the philosophers in Athens, he begins with what is clear about God, just as he does in Romans 1.  John starts his Gospel with the eternality of God.  

What about Jesus?  He challenges the Pharisees, saying they do not know God.  The word “know” might mean more than a proposition, but it cannot mean less.  His ministry is about eternal life, which is knowing God (John 17:3).  He uses arguments to expose the unbelief of the Pharisees and Sadducees.   If a pastor did not catch this about the ministry of Jesus, it is right for you to question what exactly they caught at all.   

Related to this is the claim that the biblical “know” is relational.  The pastor might tell you that he cannot prove his wife exists, but he still loves her.  This pastor has now revealed to you that he has even deeper problems.  Imagine writing a Valentine’s Day card and saying, “I don’t know if you exist, but I still love you.”  Loving God and being in relation to Him requires us first to know He exists. Without that, there is no difference between this pastor and a person with an imaginary friend.

The Essential Test: Clarity and Soundness

A pastor’s role is not only to preach the Word of God but also to guide their congregation in knowing God and defending their faith. At the heart of this calling lies the essential test of clarity and soundness. If a pastor is to lead effectively, he must be able to articulate his beliefs in a way that is clear, logical, and rooted in both general and special revelation. When it comes to the question of God’s existence, a pastor must offer more than vague assurances, emotional appeals, or faulty reasoning—he must present a case that stands up to scrutiny and equips his congregation to do the same.

Clarity: Communicating Truth with Precision

It is clear that God exists.  This does not mean that everyone understands, in fact, we are told they don’t understand. It means that it was clearly presented to us so that unbelief has no excuse.  If a pastor cannot show that he knows what is clear, he has failed to get past Romans 1:20 and is not ready to move on to the rest of the doctrines in that book.  To say that it is clear that God exists means there is a clear distinction between God, who is without beginning, and the creation that had a beginning.  God is eternal, and everything else is temporal.  

Clarity means presenting arguments to show that only God is eternal. A pastor should be able to explain God is without beginning and everything else had a beginning, using language and concepts that both theologically literate and everyday believers can understand. If a pastor cannot do this, it means he has not yet repented of his own failure to seek and know what is clear.  He runs the risk of hypocrisy if he calls others to repent of that for which he has not repented.

Soundness: Building on a Solid Foundation

Soundness refers to the quality of a pastor’s arguments. A sound argument is one in which the reasoning is coherent, and the premises are true, leading inevitably to a true conclusion. When addressing the question of God’s existence, a pastor must avoid logical fallacies, unsupported assertions, and flawed premises. Instead, he must construct arguments that use premises to show that the conclusion (God is real) is indeed true.

If a pastor has not learned how to give a sound argument that pastor is not able to teach others how to think.  Furthermore, it is another sign that this pastor has not repented of his own failure to seek and understand.  A person who does not understand that reason and argument are necessary for knowledge or does not know how to competently use reason and argument, is not ready to pastor you in the knowledge of God. 

Soundness also guards against the dangers of syncretism or theological compromise. A pastor who presents unsound arguments risks opening the door to confusion or even heresy. For instance, if a pastor uses an argument that aligns more closely with deism or pantheism than with biblical theism, he may inadvertently lead his congregation to adopt views that are incompatible with Christianity.

Equipping the Congregation

A pastor’s clarity and soundness are not merely for his own intellectual satisfaction—they are essential for equipping the congregation to know God themselves. Knowing God is eternal life, our highest good, and chief end.  A pastor who cannot show that God is real is demonstrating to us that he does not really believe that knowing God is his chief end.  He will, of course, say he believes it, but actions speak louder than words.  

The stakes of this test cannot be overstated. A pastor who fails to demonstrate clarity and soundness in his reasoning risks leading his congregation astray or leaving them ill-prepared to face challenges to their faith. Choosing a pastor who meets this standard is not about intellectual elitism but about ensuring that the congregation is shepherded by someone who truly understands and can articulate the truths of God’s Word.  It is about choosing someone who knows his chief end and can teach you the same.

Conclusion: The Foundation of Faith

Whether you ask one of the X pastors looking for attention on social media or put a card in the basket, take care to consider the kind of answer you get.  If it is fideism, circularity, or insufficient arguments, this pastor is not trained in reason and has not repented of their own failure to seek God. He hasn’t even applied Romans 1:20 to himself yet.  Now that you know, it is important for you to let others know of his incompetence.  

The role of a pastor is far more than that of a charismatic speaker, a compassionate counselor, or a knowledgeable theologian—it is to build and strengthen the faith of their congregation upon a firm and enduring foundation. That foundation is the objective reality of God’s existence and His revealed truth. Without this, a pastor’s sermons and teachings lack the grounding necessary to guide believers through the intellectual and spiritual challenges they will inevitably face.  He is unable to call others to repent because he has not repented of his own failure to seek God.

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