What a Pastor Needs...

LifeWay recently conducted a national study of 1,000 Protestant pastors. Here's what they found:

Pastors feel privileged to be called to their places of ministry. They have a deep love for those they shepherd. Most of them could not conceive of doing anything else. But, many pastors are hurting.

One of the key symptoms of the pain experienced by pastors is discouragement. Over one-half (55%) of pastors are presently discouraged.Some interesting facts discovered in the study:

• There was no pattern of discouragement related to the geographical location of the church.
• There was no pattern of discouragement related to the size of the church.
• There was no pattern of discouragement related to the educational level of the pastor.
• There was a significant pattern of discouragement related to the age of the pastor. The younger the pastor, the more likely he was to be discouraged.

Most pastors experience intense loneliness at times. The survey noted that over one-half again (coincidentally the same number, 55%, as noted above) said they were lonely.Which pastors experience the greatest amount of loneliness? 

• There was no pattern of loneliness related to the geographical location of the church.
• Younger pastors were more likely to be lonely than older pastors.
• The larger the church, the greater the likelihood that the pastor was experiencing loneliness.
• The greater the education level of the pastor, the more likely he is to be lonely.

Why the Pervasive Discouragement and Loneliness? Here are some possible reasons:

• Spiritual warfare. The Enemy does not want God’s servants to be effective in ministry. He will do whatever it takes to hurt ministers and their ministries.
• Unrealistic expectations. The expectations and demands upon a pastor are enormous. They are unrealistic. But if one person’s expectations are not met, that person can quickly let the pastor know that he is a failure.
• Greater platforms for critics. In “the good old days,” a critic was typically limited to telephone, mail, and in-person meetings to criticize a minister. Today the critics have the visible and pervasive platforms of email, blogs, and social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
• Failure to take time away from the church or place of ministry. Workaholism leads to burnout. Burnout leads to depression.
• Marriage and family problems. Too often the pastor neglects his family as he cares for the larger church family.
• Financial strains. Many pastors simply do not have sufficient income from the churches they serve. That financial stress can lead to depression. Some pastors do not know how to manage the money they do have, leading to further financial strain.
• The problem of comparison. Every pastor will always know of a church that is larger and more effective. Every pastor will always know of another pastor who seems more successful. The comparison game can be debilitating to some pastors.

One thing that every pastor needs more than ever is prayer. They need support and encouragement.

Without prayers and encouragement, I know I would not be able to stay in the battle. So, thank you to all who pray without ceasing!

Faithful, Not Famous

I would guess that many pastors are tempted to be a "people-pleaser". I know I am. You naturally want people to like you, but being in ministry isn't a popularity contest.  Ezekiel faced this same situation. 

Ezekiel 33:30-32 says, "Son of man, your people are whispering behind your back. They talk about you in their houses and whisper about you at the doors, saying, `Come on, let's have some fun! Let's go hear the prophet tell us what the LORD is saying!' So they come pretending to be sincere and sit before you listening. But they have no intention of doing what I tell them. They express love with their mouths, but their hearts seek only after money. You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don't do it!"

The exiles admired Ezekiel for his preaching, but they did not put into practice what he told them. They did not apply it to their own lives and change, but he preached it anyway. Godly leaders “perform” for an audience of One. 

It is also tempting to try harder and think you are doing something wrong when you look at how other churches are "doing it"; or how mega-churches just keep getting bigger. A recent article I read says that worshippers are getting a spiritual "high" that keeps them coming back for more. 

What this boils down to is, "How do I define success in ministry?" Is it all about the numbers? Mother Theresa’s perspective helps me to stay grounded in the deepest truth about what success really is; it rescues me from my own inner strivings when I need rescuing. She says,

I was never called to be successful;
I was called to be faithful
and in my striving to be faithful
my life will be fruitful
and because it is fruitful
you could say I am successful.”