(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
Here is an article that really does belong in the category of Ministry Opportunities!
Let me share why it is that I am so keenly interested in pastor burnout and pastors leaving ministry. In fact, my concern for pastors prompted me to launch my website. My website ministry began out of my concern for exiting pastors who are usually described as having “left the ministry”. Here is a bold statement: I think it nearly impossible for a faithful servant of God to leave the ministry! Leaving a ministry assignment is not the same as turning away from one’s faith, but many seem to think it is. It is interesting to me that the search engine keywords most consistently used bringing visitors to my website are “pastoral burnout” and “leaving the ministry”.
What is amazing is that the number one search engine entry bringing people to my ministry focused website continues to be “pastor appreciation poems”! And again this month, it is leading the way as the entry point into this site. I am still trying to figure out exactly what this means, except to say that those wanting to express appreciation to their pastor do not have a clue that he or she is ready to throw in the towel. My guess is that it will take a heap of pastor appreciation poetry to alleviate feelings a pastor has to the contrary.
Ken Sande of Peacemaker Ministries in an article entitled article, “Strike the Shepherd” reports that every month (at the time this article was written), 1,500 pastors in the USA leave their assignments because of conflict, burnout or moral failure.
I would imagine this same pastoral exodus to be true worldwide simply because people are people. Sande states that one study showed that the average seminary graduate spends only 14 years pastoring before changing careers. Now, while it is a tragedy when pastors leave ministry because of moral failure,
I do question the entire concept of “leaving the ministry” as always being negative. In fact, just as some of the greatest companies and corporations came about in response to a pink slip, I honestly feel that some of the greatest ministry will be initiated following pastoral burnout or being forced out.
For example, The great Christian humanitarian ministry “World Vision” came about because the founder was rejected as a missionary candidate by his denomination. The truth is that most of us in ministry serve an organization that had its beginnings in someone being rejected or forced out somewhere along the line.
As I said in a previous article, the Apostle Paul often decided to go to the next town in his missionary journeys because he was “forced out”. His concept of the leadership of God was that he would wake up lying on the ground, there were stones all around him, and his body hurt like crazy! It was at that moment he decided to go to the next ministry assignment.
I call for a whole new framework for understanding ministry, suggesting we reframe “expanding the ministry”. Of course, if it is the ministry of the Apostle Paul that sets the pattern for understanding ministry, that would be a whole “old” framework!
No one likes to be hurt or forced out, but maybe we need to be more like the Apostle Paul when being run out of town. It was probably the only way God could get his attention to move on to his next ministry assignment. That has been true for me as well. So don’t be surprised if it is in a whole new career setting but ministry just the same. To see ministry in this light is the ultimate “change career with purpose” strategy.
Onward with purpose,
Chaplain Paul Slater
[...] in fact, a story I added to my to-do list when I was at the LA Daily News. Three years ago. And clergy burnout was getting attention well before 2007.Part of the problem, from my vantage point, stems from the [...]
[...] in fact, a story I added to my to-do list when I was at the LA Daily News. Three years ago. And clergy burnout was getting attention well before [...]
No Spam
Adult 
Gambling
Unfinished
Deception
Plagiarism
Not English
Yes, I am sure there are cultural differences in how we respond to pressure and stress. Yet the Bible tells of many who felt like giving up and some who did. The truth is that God can lead us even through tough times, perhaps even to a new ministry.
thank you for the article. after battling with so many issues, this morning i decided i had have had enough. i have spent 19 years of ministry and it seems a continues struggle. i have felt hurt, disappointed, lonely all the time. i live in cape town, and it's difficult to have a support base, where one can open up. i hope this will be, as you say, God taking me to another level of ministry. Thank You.
Glad to be an encouragement to you. By the way, a great way to find an encourager is to be one.
I have now been a ex-pastor for 18 years. I have serveral responses. First, that many who enter pastoral ministry should have never been there in the first place. This is due in large to a misunderstanding of a "call" and the need for Bible colleges and seminaries to fill the classrooms. Second, martial struggles and money are critical issues that cause death of many ministries. I guess not allowing a pastor to be human is at the heart of the matter.
Perhaps the concept of a call should be wider, not restricted to an organization or career position. There is a world full of people needing to reminded that God loves them. How we share that good news just may be in totally new ways than done previously, like through a "World Village" article.
Thanks for your site.
A lot of truth. When you try and try and try - it gets hard sometimes. You bust your self really trying to get worship to go right and have great sermons and get the ministries going and .. and ...and... and... Then folks leave and your church struggles and the Elders hit you with "numbers down " stats then money gets tight and your wife has to work because money is tight. In the midst of all of this you know you are a good pastor but this kind of stuff is hard. You pray a lot, muster yourself and hit it again another week. The big question you ask often is - am I really doing this little church any good?
I felt that way many times. Then I began hearing from those who were children when I served at those small churches. I was amazed at how they were serving God and came to the conclusion that those years were not wasted!
Thank you for the article. I am doing some research on burnout in pastors and counselors. This is a very important topic that is often overlooked. I like the way you reframed the "leaving" piece. I do take issue with your cross-cultural analysis. I don't agree that the factors that lead to burnout are happening in the same way, or leading to the same results as in North America. Other cultures deal with work and stress differently. Social support systems, measuements of success, and definitions of, and coping with failure differ vastly cross-culturally. Yes, human nature is human nature. None of us does everything well. However, burnout American-style is not a universal. We would do well to let other cultures teach us alternatives to working ourselves to death.
Chaplain Slater, just curious, how many years have you served as a senior pastor? Thanks