there’s a good article in the pantagraph from yesterday describing and detailing how much pastors need care as well. there are some great statistics as well as some familiar names from lincoln christian seminary in the interview as well. this article comes in the wake of the ted haggard scandal and now another pastor has quit after revealing same-sex relations. it seems as if all over the country pastors are falling like stones, whether because of marital infidelity, financial indiscretions, or other moral failures.Â
however, it’s not just through these avenues that pastors are leaving their ministries. the statistic quoted by lcs is that 33% of pastors will eventually leave the ministry altogether 15 years after their initial calling. that’s a pretty generous statistic, but the one that caught me completely by surprise was this:
“40 to 50 percent: Voluntary but with some “push factor” prompting departure“
40-50 percent of all pastors are pushed out of their current ministry position (or feel they are pushed out). that’s a rather high rate and it seems as if this stat could go two ways–either the sr. pastors are being kicked around in a ridiculous type of manner, or their really just a bunch of softies and skewed the statistics this way even though it’s not the case. or in other words, their felt push was really the board trying to get them to do something they were reluctant to do so they took their ball and went home.
either way it really shows a major problem within churches today in how we treat pastors and how pastors perceive they are being treated. there needs to be some training in this–especially to teach/train pastors to grow a thicker skin, and some balls while they’re at it.
the second part is that there needs to be a better “working” relationship between the pastor and the elders. there needs to be a relational investment between the two. it’s only then that we’ll be able to see pastors actually go to an elder when they have a struggle, and it’s only then that they wouldn’t be fearful of the elders. it’s only then that the elders would better understand the pastor and give him the benefit of the doubt from time to time. there’s no other way that this can happen than through deeper and stronger relationships between the elders and the pastor.
this isn’t something, however, that can happen overnight, but is something that must be developed over the course of time… time that many pastors seem unwilling to put in because they want their changes now… and time that many board members are unwilling to put in because they want to see their church grow and be better now…
and that’s the dilemma…
(ht: b-matt)
Related posts:
- why can’t we all just get along?
- For all the pastors out there…
- the vulnerability of pastors…
- pastors surveys
- death by ministry.
I happen to be a big fan of this program that LCS is doing out at “Blessing Ranch†(not just the Doc Program but they have this mentoring week that Lincoln and Blessing Ranch team up on)…by in by John and Deana Walker who run the ministry at Blessing Ranch are my cousins…but that is beside the point. Dennis and I were able to go out last summer for a week of refreshment, mentoring, and study. It was awesome. Everything was paid for short of the travel expense by a scholarship through LCS. I think given your present situation this could be a valuable time for you to take. Getting mentored by contemporaries and elder Senior Minister (drop below I80 can’t use pastor) who are leading and have been leading churches for some time. I know that I gain some valuable lessons from the years of combined wisdom that they pastors brought to the table. Great open discussions in a very loose and comfortable setting. Give me a call sometime and we can talk more about it.
PT
thanks tim, i’ve heard walker speak at the seminary a couple of times now and he’s a pretty sharp guy. this sounds pretty interesting indeed!