George Wharton Pepper once said;
"What people want to see in pastors as they lead in worship or read from the Scriptures is reverence... It is not a manner or tone or posture. It is something the effect of which is confined to the man himself... I am inclined to describe it as the atmosphere exhaled by a man who is aware of the Presence of God."

After years of observation Pepper came to the conclusion that the primary trait that people want to see in their pastors and spiritual leaders is reverence for God. Not primarily skill, not primarily humor, not primarily compassion, not primarily anything else but reverence.

This is, of course, only Pepper's subjective observation and not the result of a survey or study of a passage of scripture. That being said, I do not think that Pepper is alone in this conclusion. In fact, I think that many pastors and church leaders know this inherently even if we've never identified it as clearly as Pepper has.

Why else would so many people feign reverence or seek to counterfeit reverence by praying in King James English or adopting a form of clerical professionalism that attempts to mimic reverence?

In ministry, professionalism can be a form of reverence, or it can be a substitute for reverence. This is one of the many fine lines that exist in ministry.

Regarding this fine line, Ben Patterson states:
"If we view our calling only as a career, we reduce the servant of Christ to a vapid creature called 'The Professional'. Well-dressed and well-spoken, armed with degrees, leadership savvy, management manuals, and marketing studies - all to be used for the good of the kingdom, of course - we intend to make a mark on the world, gain a little respect for the profession and shed forever the pastor's "Rodney Dangerfield" image. Sensible and realistic, professionals expect the church to treat them like professionals in negotiating salary and benefits to match. It is terrifying to realize that professional clergy can apply the skills and sophistication of their trade to build large, exciting, growing churches, and do it all without having to believe anything! Worst of all, careerism drives a wedge between the God who calls and the person who answers. It leads us to believe that our performance is more important than our person, that how we do in the Ecclesiastical Marketplace is more important than how we stand before God. Careerism tries to give us confidence in ourselves, where we ought to tremble and cry out for mercy. There is no place in the professional syllabus for a Paul who came to Corinth in weakness and foolishness, or for a Jeremiah who ate the word of God only to get a terrible case of indigestion, or for a Jesus who ended his public life on a cross."

Professionalism does things with excellence because it furthers careers and enhances reputation. Reverence does things with excellence because God is worthy and it gives Him honor and glory.

Professionalism tries to stay employed. Reverence tries to stay faithful, even if it has an adverse impact on employment.

Professionalism responds to calls that are prestigious. Reverence has no interest in prestige and is willing to get its hands dirty for people who will never further your career.

Professionalism minimizes risk. Reverence equates risk with faith.

Finally, as John Piper prayed:

"Hasn't God made pastors the last in all the world? We are fools for Christ's sake; professionals are wise. We are weak; professionals are held in high honor. Professionalism has nothing to do with the essence and heart of the Christian Ministry. For there is no professional child-likeness, no professional tenderheartedness, no professional panting after God. How do you carry a cross professionally? What is professional faith? 'God deliver us from the professionalizers!"

*All of these quotes are located in the “Leadership Book of Management and Administration” edited by James D. Berkley