Why I Submit: My Pastor

I've had very few pastors in my life. That's the lot of a pastor's kid. Most of my life my pastor was my father, which is an interesting experience, but it doesn't teach what the proper relationship between member and pastor should be. I've had to learn this over the past seven years since I've joined my great church, Here.
I will tell you the honest truth, I had great difficulty submitting to a pastor that was not my father. In fact, I had difficulty just referring to him as "Pastor." Instead, I would call him, "Pastor Brenneman." Over the past seven years of sitting under his ministry, I've grown to greatly respect Pastor Brenneman and his wife. Unfortunately on July 24th they served their last Sunday with us, as God has called them to another ministry.
Partially, I feel apprehensive will I respect and care for my new pastor and his family as I did my old pastor and his. It's a new experience for me. But, my greatest desire when he arrives is to be a blessing. I would like to be an easy sheep to shepherd.

I don't desire to be a blind sheep that helplessly follows without comparing his teachings to scripture. But, I do want to be a hard worker in the ministry God has called me, and to be willing to serve in ways that my pastor needs me to do. I want to submit to his authority and follow his leading.

I do this because of a few verses in Hebrews:
"Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation." - Hebrews 13:7
"Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you." - Hebrews 13:17 These verses bring into perspective what it is to submit to your pastor! A pastor has a great responsibility, he must give an account to the Lord regarding his congregation. But look at the end of verse 17, if we obey with grief (this is not referring to those who disobey their pastor) then it is unprofitable for us. I don't know about you, but I want to profit in any situation that I possibly can! That selfish reason is one of the biggest reasons that I joyfully submit to the authority of my pastor.

Just a slight commercial for pastors and their families:
Speaking as someone who grew up in a pastor's home, Pastor's work more than you do, there is no such thing as a forty hour work week. They study their Bibles more than we watch tv! They are willing to give up the future of their choice which could have involved a lucrative career and comfort for a life of service. I think that when you remember this it makes it a lot easier to obey and submit to your pastor.