Sermons Devotions. Statistics on Addictions. Become a Director. Breaking the Huddle. Fellowship of Retired Ministers. Please hear me clearly. The vast majority of pastors with whom our team communicates are saying they are considering quitting their churches.
Some are just weeks away from making an announcement. They are looking for work in the secular world. Some will move to bivocational ministry. Some will move to marketplace ministry. But many will move. Why has this period of great discouragement ensued? Of course, it is connected to COVID, but the pandemic really just exacerbated trends already in place.
We would have likely gotten to this point in the next three to five years regardless. I also want you to know that these pastors do not think they will be leaving ministry. They just believe the current state of negativity and apathy in many local churches is not the most effective way they can be doing ministry. So, they are leaving or getting ready to leave. There are many reasons why, but allow me to share the top six reasons, understanding that they are not mutually exclusive.
Pastors are burned out, beaten up, and downtrodden. Many are about to quit. You may be surprised to discover your pastor is among them. With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
More from Thom. Your email address will not be published. I really believe that a Pastor endures so much. He sacrifices a lot and really has so much on his plate as a spiritual leader.
Thanks to his sacrifices, he truly has made our church great again! Brother, I feel it. Please hang in there. The pastor is a sorcerer who is supposed to just magically always fix every problem alone , right every wrong alone , meet every need alone , never call anyone out, and just continue to rock us all to sleep in our warm cribs…crying and wetting ourselves along the way.
Jesus knows what you are facing. His grace is enough. We are out here, we hear you, you are not alone. Focus on making Jesus happy, and let him take care of everyone else. Share everything with your wife. I believe God is going to bring revival. So, they are leaving or getting ready to leave. There are many reasons why, but allow me to share the top six reasons, understanding that they are not mutually exclusive.
Pastors are weary from the pandemic, just like everyone else. Pastors are not superhumans. They miss their routines. They miss seeing people as they used to do so. They would like the world to return to normal, but they realize the old normal will not return. Pastors are greatly discouraged about the fighting taking place among church members about the post-quarantine church.
Gather in person or wait? Masks or no masks? Social distancing or not? Too many church members have adopted the mindset of culture and made these issues political fights. Pastors deal daily with complaints about the decisions the church makes.
Pastors are discouraged about losing members and attendance. Great to hear from you Trevor. A lot of truth here. This is not just a covid issue.
What else is going on? COVID is a symptom of greater issues. COVID can be blamed, but there is more to the issue. Is anyone asking those kind of questions? Is there any data on that? I am returning to ministry after being on disability for nearly four years. I am still disabled, but God has put it in my heart to accept a call to a part time position. Like the vast majority of pastors, I serve a very small 35 in worship , financially struggling church.
In all my years of ministry, I never once got a cost of living increase. During my disability it was necessary to use up my retirement funds to pay my medical and daily bills. I suspect that for many of those considering leaving ministry, it is less a crisis of confidence and more with a sad heart and the reality that we are one paycheck or illness away from being unable to care for our families disabled child, aging parents.
At least here in the US, there is almost no safety net left. I tried to be bivocational, but my illness limits the number of hours I can work. I know I am not alone in that. I did not go into ministry to make money, but as I age, the realities of poverty and being unable to afford help for my still suffering, now adult child are overwhelming.
I know Easter Sunday was a huge encouragement for myself and other pastor friends of mine to see so many come back to church services. We still have a couple hundred watching online, but it was good to see so many in person who were back at church for the first time in over a year. Focusing on outreach and our influence outside the four walls the last year has been such an encouragement to me.
Nothing helps my golf game much either Dean! Encouraged to see churches across America open for in-person again yesterday! On top of that, we had a major fire at our church last August which destroyed our sanctuary, offices and several classrooms and our Music Dir of 21 years decided to retire. In addition, there are the personal side of life, family and health issues, trying to sort out. After all, God is in the business of resurrection!
He is risen! He is risen indeed! Thanks for this beautiful and useful information. But these have not happen so I would just take the advice on this blog and be pushing on. I have hope in change. Before the pandemic I was a happy pastor feeling very blessed to have this career so thankful. However I was not able to fulfill my calling as I saw it to connect Jesus with the culture and see the church grow. Then the pandemic came and opened up possibly of growing through digital.
It shifted the church. I want new and effective mission outreach. One lasted about 2 years, the other closer to 4. Over 35 years in ministry and I try to thank God often that by His grace I am still in the game.
It is a blessing to be called to full time ministry…but it is seldom easy…but Jesus did tell us to expect as much. I find if I try to do to much work, it becomes a burden instead of blessing. I have to step back, hand all over to God, not just some, all.
Surrendering what I think must be done takes matters out of my feeble hands. We are merely forever apprentices observing and learning from God and how He creates things out of nothing…..
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