Dr. Stephen Tong once asked, years ago, in the seminary class I took: Is it possible that some regular Christians in the church know better/more than the pastor? Yes. Then in what manner the pastor pastors them? What authority? Seminary certificates? ordination? majority vote? title? etc.
The answer after 10+ years that I come to conclusion is: Love. I can't believe such an easy answer took me so long to come up with. The love of a parent. The prodigal son's father's love. The love of a shepherd. Not a hireling's sense of responsibility for the hireling is affected by financial and material wage. This love will be tough. Sure, a pastor should be as theologically equipped as possible, but more importantly, it is not the preaching on the pulpit, but the fatherly love which was shown even in St. Paul, who suffered tears from the elders at Ephesus and many more.
This parental love, is in the form of feeding the sheep not just with words, but with life, even where you don't want to go. And the power behind it which the Holy Spirit charges: "Do you love me" was what the Lord asked Peter (John 21:15-19).
True the son can be better, smarter, etc. than the parents, but the reason the son will still listen and honor the parents is not just one: Honor thy parents - and in this case the ordination of pastoral shepherdhood one a person in a church, for David never harmed Saul; but secondly, is because of the love of the parents. The child knows, despite his rebellion, disagreement with the father, when in trouble, there is always found love and comfort in the father's house. The father's love for the son is undeniable. This is how a pastor pastors a church. Not as a hireling who is so smart at preaching in the pulpit, but actually, more importantly, feeding them in all manner, self-sacrificing, no strife, instilling trust and love from them. This is not a competition between pastor and pastor, this is simply a true sacrifice.
And if these or this member, who is blessed by God in so many ways (in theology, biblical knowledge, hermeneutics, wisdom, theology, history, geography, management, speech, preaching, etc.) more than the pastor, behaves as if even in the matter of love, he needs to exceed the pastor's, then by all means, because it can only be ever more beautiful, if this love is true and holy. By all means, strive for it, both pastor and saints. But the pastor has no excuse to fall behind. He could be slow, struggling in jealousy, frustration, but he should not be waiting.
I would sure like to confirm with Pak Tong on this if I see him. (Added to my Question List for pak Tong entry) Because when he asked the question in Manhattan, no one answered (or perhaps the "certificate" answer was from one of the classmates), and Tong didn't really answer the question either, as if it is unanswerable or he didn't want to reveal his answer.
I have long thought about it, I'd wondered with no satisfying answer until very recently, I don't know, perhaps because of GCC and the fellowship of this church, motivated me to revisit all things spiritual once again. The pastor is not popular, in fact, he's 5+ years into his pastoral ministry and younger than I. But yet I could see him loving God's word more than most if not all pastors I've came across. I'm talking about all but Tim Keller at Redeemer, certainly the one at CCCNY, in fact, all Chinese churches I've been, Westfield Grace OPC's. As for MERF of NYC? I cannot say, it seems to be something good there but I did not get much opportunity to know them enough plus it appears that some of their secretary was prone to tribalism (if you are not member we are not interested to talk to you too much), hence I was kicked out of their mailing group more than once, I gave up, tired of complaining this to their pastor again.