Monthly Archives: March 2010

Growing up in a pastors family i’ve seen first-hand the effects, both positively and negatively that pastoring has on both the pastors and their families.

Pastoring has it’s joys and it’s heartaches. I’ve come to realize that being in ministry full-time should never be a career choice, but rather, needs to be a calling.

My parents recently went to a pastors conference which focussed on placing value on pastors and encouraging them to keep fighting the good fight. One statistic they heard there was that in America today, one of the most dangerous professions is pastoring. This relates to stress, family pressure, emotional well-being, financial well-being, and physical health of pastors surveyed across america. Australia and England would be very similar to this.

This got me thinking.

As a young pastor, who has only being in ministry for the past 9 years, would I make it? How will my future family cope? Will I end up like so many others before me with good hearts, but burnt out?

To give you the seriousness of the situation here’s some facts:

• churchgoers expect their pastor to juggle an average of 16 major tasks
• two-thirds of pastors reported that their congregation experienced a conflict during the past two years; more than 20 percent of those were significant enough that members left the congregation
• the typical pastor has his/her greatest ministry impact at a church in years 5 through 14 of his pastorate; unfortunately, the average pastor lasts only five years at a church.
• 1,500 pastors leave the ministry permanently each month in America.
• 4,000 new churches start each year in America.
• 7,000 churches close each year in America.
• 50% of pastors’ marriages end in divorce.
• 70% of pastors continually battle depression.
• 80% of pastors and 85% of their spouses feel discouraged in their roles.
• 70% of pastors do not have a close friend, confidant, or mentor.
• 50% of pastors are so discouraged they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way to make a living.
• 80% of seminary graduates who enter ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
• 80% of pastors’ wives feel their husbands are overworked.
• 90% of pastors said their training was inadequate for ministry.
• 85% of pastors report that their biggest problem is dealing with abstinent elders, deacons, worship leaders, worship teams, board members, and associate pastors.
• 90% of pastors said the hardest thing about ministry is uncooperative people.
• 70% of pastors are grossly underpaid.
• 80% of pastors’ wives feel unappreciated by the congregation.
• Over 50% of pastors’ wives feel that their husbands entering ministry was the most destructive thing to ever happen to their families.

*According to Shiloh Place Ministries (shilohplace.org), which drew its information from Focus on the Family, Ministries Today, Charisma Magazine, TNT Ministries, and other respected groups.

But aren’t pastors meant to be different?

We must never forget that pastors are people too. People with a calling to a specific ministry. People who make mistakes and need our help.

It’s amazing that a pastor will spend their life rallying beside people who have made a life-time of mistakes, but when the pastor makes one mistake, people leave the church!

I’ve thought for a long time about whether of not to write this blog as I don’t want to bring discouragement. However, I believe that we can bring a change.

We can do something about this as the Body of Christ.

How?

1) Make it your conviction that you will support your pastors, even if you don’t agree with them on certain things (and sometimes you won’t!) The Bible tells us that when Aaron and Hur held Moses hands up, that the army of God started winning the battle (Exodus 17). Hold your pastors hands up!

2) Look for ways to support your pastors and their families. Pray for them daily, encourage them regularly, if you hear people speak negatively about them – be the first to speak positively, make it your conviction to be their shield-bearer.

3) Realize they are human. They are anointed, but they will make mistakes. He who hasn’t sinned, cast the first stone.

4) Realize that part of your pastors job is to bring correction. A toddler who doesn’t get his own way, will throw a tantrum. Don’t be a spiritual toddler! “Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.” Proverbs 9:8. Heed correction. Someone who truly loves you will speak truth to you (even when it hurts!), and also speak into who your called to be, not just today but into the future!

5) Don’t compare yourself with your Pastors. Until you’ve carried the weight of a church or ministry, you won’t truly understand the magnitude of what is being carried both spiritually, emotionally, mentally. Their is no other occupation in the world that carries the spiritual pressures of pastoring the body of Christ. They carry a different grace to you. Comparison is often pride anyway.

6) Submit to your pastors authority.

Hebrews 13:17 says “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

7) Be your pastors greatest fan. Love them, unite with their vision, realize that God places leaders in our lives to LEAD us. Why? Because God will use them to take us to a place that we haven’t been yet.

I believe that together, the army of the Living God can see more victories than ever before, by holding up our leaders hands. Amen.

Much Love,

Benaiah