“A sacrament is a sacrament even if the materials are less than perfect. One may prefer the best bread for the Eucharist, but the worst will still serve the purpose. One might prefer, with the ancient directives of the Didiche, to have cold, running water for baptism, but standing water will do. One would be glad to have the best possible priest in every sense of the word standing at altar or font to preside at these sacraments, but we can participate fully in the sacred rites even with a sacramental priest who is far less than perfect.”
– William Countryman, Living on the Border of the Holy
Thank goodness. In one’s ecclesiology it may be helpful to examine how one feels about pastors…but fundamentally that is not the point of coming to and being part of the church. It is how we feel about the God we worship that matters. And how all of us as the fundamental priesthood of all believers carry out our call to be the church alongside those who are hired or appointed to pastoral leadership.