Shakespeare was speaking of romance, not ministry, when He asked the timeless question, "What's in a name?" However, it also is an excellent question for those of us in ministry to ask from time to time. 

I have been called variously a preacher, pastor, minister and many other titles throughout my ministry. Although each conveys an element of what I do, I much prefer the word "shepherd." Why this distinction? Because I am convinced that nothing is more critical for pastors today than to regain their biblical identity. Wrong identity always leads to wrong preaching.

Think about it: If you consider yourself simply a preacher, your identity isn't complete. As important as preaching is, it is only one facet of a true shepherd.

It is all too easy to view preaching as simply the crafting and delivering of words. Doing so creates the risk of losing the motive and force behind the preaching, which is shaping, feeding, caring for and protecting the souls of the flock. A shepherd's goal is not simply to impress people with great preaching; our consuming passion is to care for the people of God.

The use of the word "preacher" is a cultural norm in some parts of our country, I realize, but it also communicates a deep misunderstanding about our calling. If all we do is preach (and if that's what we are known for), there never will be that shepherd-sheep relationship that creates the trust, care and love that are so crucial to our ministry.

Our failure to create that trust relationship underpins much of the pastor-congregation conflict that has torn its way into countless churches. If we train our members to think of us only as preachers, it becomes pretty easy for churches to swap our voices for the latest and greatest. Likewise, it also makes it easy to for preachers to change congregations when they don't see results from their preaching.

No wonder the Bible emphasizes the role of the shepherd from cover to cover: 

• "Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance" (Micah 7:14). 
• "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with his own blood" (Acts 20:28).
• "Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers — not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be" (1 Peter 5:2).

Few of you would need a concordance to find countless more verses from both the Old and New Testaments. Notice that both of the New Testament passages above encourage us to be shepherds. Shepherding is all about being before doing. We do what we do because of who we are — shepherds.