The past two-plus years have been a challenging and unprecedented season of ministry. To better understand how that’s impacted N.C. pastors, the Biblical Recorder spoke with 10 pastors from across the state who represent a variety of ministry contexts.
These pastors were offered anonymity and confidentiality in exchange for their candid responses to a series of questions related to pastoral ministry. A selection of their answers appear below, which include minor edits for length, clarity and to remove any potentially identifying information.
Here’s an overview of pastors who were surveyed, followed by some of their responses to the Q&A.
- Pastor 1: Western North Carolina pastor
- Pastor 2: Western North Carolina pastor
- Pastor 3: Triad-area pastor
- Pastor 4: Triad-area pastor
- Pastor 5: Charlotte-area pastor
- Pastor 6: Charlotte-area pastor
- Pastor 7: Triangle-area pastor
- Pastor 8: Triangle-area pastor
- Pastor 9: Eastern North Carolina pastor
- Pastor 10: Eastern North Carolina pastor
Q: What’s your biggest challenge or frustration in ministry and why?
Pastor 2: Getting a church to realize that many of their traditions are not contributing to the cause of the gospel. Traditions are not inherently bad, but if they do not advance the gospel, it uses up time, energy, and resources for things that can advance the gospel.
Pastor 3: The biggest challenge during COVID was the mental and emotional toll it took on me personally. Every day was different. Every week brought new challenges. Implementing safety policies, developing digital means of communications, strategizing how to gather on-campus in safe ways that avoided political perspectives, adjusting calendars and plans, (and) making financial decisions brought about a mental fatigue.
Pastor 4: Being able to see growth is a challenge. But one of the hardest things is to have people just leave the church without any feedback. Ministry is spiritual warfare, and there is often self-doubt. When people leave or choose not to be involved beyond the Sunday morning service, it causes you to wonder if you are the problem sometimes.
Pastor 5: Currently, I would say my biggest frustration is the inconsistency in church attendance. I’m afraid people are continuing to use COVID as an excuse to not attend and/or they’ve gotten comfortable with not being involved (Hebrews 10:25).
Pastor 6: My biggest frustrations are others’ selfishness and my own pride. Their selfishness offends my pride; and my pride offends their selfishness.
Pastor 7: My biggest challenge in ministry is pastoring alone. No one wants it to be that way, including my church, but the solo pastor model often creates an environment where the heaviest burdens and the deepest issues are carried by one person. Sure, many matters of the church are worked through with other leaders, but in the solo pastor model, the heaviest pastoral burdens are laid on one person. Thankfully, my church – and many others from what I hear – are beginning to see the challenges and burdens of this model and thinking in terms of a plurality of pastors, no matter the size of the church. Related to this challenge is the challenge of raising up leaders. It’s hard for our churches to envision raising up more pastors if they aren’t currently seeing new people come and a pathway for those people to become leaders in the church.
Pastor 8: The biggest challenge I am facing is leading our church to be spiritually healthy and Great Commission focused. Some vocal members in the church are opposed to change and place a high value on traditions. These challenges are frustrating and at times very discouraging.
Pastor 9: Apathy. Trying to get back to pre-pandemic numbers.
Pastor 10: One of my biggest challenges in ministry is managing my schedule in order to make the biggest impact for the gospel. I realize that preaching is the greatest opportunity I have to influence others for the gospel in my local church. However, because I have various responsibilities it makes it difficult sometimes to set aside the necessary time to give my very best effort to the preaching event. In the end, it falls on me to do a better job managing my schedule to allow for maximum sermon preparation.
Q: Navigating the pandemic and other issues has been especially taxing and challenging for pastors and churches the last couple of years. How has local church ministry changed during that time?
Pastor 2: While we are growing in attendance, many who stayed home due to COVID are still at home. Texts, phone calls, letters and emails are more important due to many folks not being comfortable with in-home visits.
Pastor 3: The inability to gather in our normal routines, for a season, made us stronger. We intuitively knew that gathering in person was important, but now we cherish the ability to meet in person. Online avatars and digital sermons don’t replace the joy of gathering in a location together.
Pastor 4: Between the pandemic and inflation, the number of people with needs has skyrocketed, especially food needs. There are much fewer doers in the church, even among those who previously were doers. This has forced the stoppage or alteration of some ministries.
Pastor 5: For us, we had to build a digital platform right away, which was something we needed to do. COVID just made that happen a little quicker. Churches are also needing to be more outward focused and really active in the communities around them. I think it’s also caused us to be more intentional with our ministries inside and outside of the church.
Pastor 6: Unfortunately the “arm-chair quarterback” syndrome has been enhanced by COVID. So many not only question every decision made by leadership, but they now feel emboldened to demand to be heard.
Pastor 8: Ministry in the local church during the pandemic was extremely difficult in the beginning. Oftentimes we had more questions than answers. Many people were confused, and some had very strong opinions about the virus and the vaccine. Many families were cautious. As a result our church was forced to change how we communicate, how we practice corporate worship, how we do small group Bible study, how we give and how we conduct church business meetings. Many people in our church became proficient at managing Zoom meetings.
Pastor 10: Overall, we did pretty well as a local church during the pandemic. We are just now seeing our attendance return to pre-pandemic levels.
Q: A report from Barna Research released earlier this year revealed that 42% of pastors have seriously considered quitting ministry over the past year. Have you given any serious consideration to leaving full-time ministry of late? Is so, for what reasons? What’s led you to stay?
Pastor 1: Yes, I have, but not ministry necessarily. More like changing churches. I just grew tired and overwhelmed with what was going on and felt like I needed something new – and a break. But God has been moving, and I want to be a part of His work. Plus, He has not given me any freedom or direction to move. In fact, He has given me a deeper love for this congregation and a bigger desire to see them grow and our church grow.
Pastor 2: Several years ago, I thought I might have to leave ministry due to pain inflicted on my wife and family by a small group of power-hungry deacons. It took my wife some time before she could forgive and be willing to try again. Thankfully, healing took place, and we re-entered ministry. I have never personally considered leaving the ministry, other than for the purpose of healing for my family.
Pastor 3: No, I never considered leaving the ministry.
Pastor 4: I have not considered this.
Pastor 5: No, I have not considered leaving full-time ministry, but I can assure you that the call of God on my life is the one thing that continues to keep me in ministry; COVID or not. He never promised us it would be easy, but He did promise He would be faithful.
Pastor 6: Yes. I allowed the attitudes of others and circumstances in the church to draw me away from time with the Father. That led to burnout and decision fatigue.
Pastor 7: I can honestly say that I’ve never considered quitting as a pastor. I’ve thought about becoming bivocational in order to free up some funds for other staff, but never dropping out of ministry. There are probably others, but I’ll share five reasons why I’ve never considered quitting: 1. God has called me to pastor. Even when pastoring is tough, I’ve never doubted my calling. 2. My wife is my greatest supporter. She may be more sure of my giftings and calling than I am. 3. My congregation loves me. They don’t follow me blindly (thankfully), but they make sure I know I’m loved. 4. My congregation loves my family. This has never been in doubt. 5. I have great pastor friends in the area and across the state. I also have a great relationship with my AMS, BSCNC, and SEBTS. These relationships help carry me through ministry.
Pastor 8: During this past year, I have not seriously considered quitting ministry. It has entered my mind at different times. When these thoughts come to me, I am reminded Satan is a liar and a deceiver. I am also reminded that greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. Jesus said “In this world you will have trouble.” The Apostle Paul was flogged, shipwrecked, stoned and left for dead. He was in danger, imprisoned and persecuted all for the sake of the gospel. The Apostle Paul did not quit — why should I quit? There is work to do, and until He calls me home or comes to get us in the rapture, I plan on doing my best to honor Him and advance the kingdom of God on the earth.
Pastor 9: No. No matter the challenges, I choose to stay the course that God has called me to. The blessings of ministry and being there for folks during these difficult days are reminders of the great calling in my life.
Pastor 10: No, I love what I do. Plus, I serve in a great church.
Q: Do you feel support and encouragement from your congregation? Why or why not? What are some ways congregations can express their support?
Pastor 1: Yes, I do. I get regular comments of affirmation, and receive cards on occasion. They are very conscious of my time and are just a blessing.
Pastor 2: The congregation that I pastor has been a great encouragement to me and my family. They pray for us. They take us out to lunch/coffee. They have cared for us while sick. They recognize birthdays, anniversaries and Pastor Appreciation Month. Simple things encourage pastors. Pray for them and their families. Show love and support to his family. Send a card of encouragement. Minister to him and his family when they go through struggles. Care for him and his family financially. Show up to worship/Bible study and participate.
Pastor 3: Yes, I feel supported by my congregation. They support me by loving my family (and by) their faithfulness in service, their love for one another and consistent words of encouragement. I have never been more loved by a church.
Pastor 5: Yes, I have a great group of core saints who are active and committed to reaching people near and far with the love of Christ. Congregations can express their support through prayer, remaining committed and active in weekly attendance, being involved in serving inside and outside of the church, being committed to unity in the body, and remembering to encourage their pastor often.
Pastor 7: I feel mostly encouragement from my congregation. Here are three ways they encourage me: 1. They pray for me and tell me so. No, their prayers aren’t more effective just because they told me, but in the weekly challenges of ministry, it’s always nice to receive that call/text/email telling me I’m being prayed for. 2. They encourage me in how much I’ve grown as a pastor, particularly in the area of preaching. It’s encouraging to hear others notice God’s ongoing work in and through me. 3. They want to make sure I have everything I need. They (leaders especially) ask me regularly if I need anything, financially and otherwise. Because this is the case, I can almost always respond, “No, thank you.” But more than anything, this communicates care, concern and support for my family.
Pastor 8: During the pandemic I have felt support and encouragement from many people in our congregation. Many people said they were praying for me, (and) they wrote cards and letters of encouragement. Several times we received gift cards with words of thankfulness and appreciation. All of these acts of kindness and generosity were very encouraging to me and my family. Churches can show support for their pastor and ministry staff by praying for them, sharing words of encouragement, writing thank you notes and, if God leads, a gift card to a local restaurant is thoughtful, kind and very much appreciated.
Pastor 9: Support from the congregation has been unbelievably wonderful. Even though some have not returned or have not returned to pre-pandemic involvement, many have. The deacons, Sunday School teachers and other leaders all stepped up to make sure that the ministry did not falter.
Pastor 10: I realize how fortunate I am to be in a great church. Not only do I feel encouraged and supported by our church, they have also been extremely gracious and generous to my family. First, numerous individuals in our church’s congregation are always inquiring about our needs. They bless us throughout the year with financial gifts, food from their gardens and special gifts. Our leadership team is always supportive of our mission and, as a whole, genuinely want to make a difference for the Lord.
Q: Pastoral ministry is often a lonely endeavor. Do you have any close friends or colleagues with whom you feel you can share your struggles and be open, transparent and vulnerable?
Pastor 1: Yes, I do. A few in fact. I would agree that isolation is one of the worst pastoral demons out there.
Pastor 2: Yes, I have two great friends who are in ministry that I communicate with consistently. We share our struggles/burdens and pray for one another. We ask for and receive advice from each other. We hold each other accountable. We hang out together whenever possible.
Pastor 3: Yes. I have a network of friends in the Triad with whom I can be open and vulnerable.
Pastor 4: Within the past year, several pastors have been meeting, and I have been fortunate to develop some very good relationships, some of which I feel comfortable being transparent and vulnerable.
Pastor 5: Yes, I do. I have a couple of local pastor friends who I always know I can call on and be transparent with. They know that they can do the same with me.
Pastor 6: Yes. Fellow staff members.
Pastor 7: I have found pastoral ministry within the local church to be lonely. I have also found friendships with other pastors and leaders outside my local church to be life-giving. I’m thankful for these relationships where transparency and encouragement can take place. My hope is that one day this will be true inside my local church as well.
Pastor 8: Sometimes pastoral ministry is lonely because pastoral leadership is very demanding and difficult at times. My wife is my biggest source of wisdom and encouragement. I also have pastor friends, as well as Christian brothers that allow me to be honest and communicate my thoughts and frustrations.
Pastor 9: I am involved with several pastors in our association that get together regularly, and I also am in other pastor text message groups and an email group with which I can share.
Pastor 10: I have a great support group! I am close with our associational leaders and meet weekly with local pastors for a time of prayer. I also meet monthly with an accountability partner who is a local pastor in another town. Plus, I have several pastor friends that I talk with regularly.
Q: How do you try to balance ministry responsibilities and family life? Do you have any habits, routines or rhythms that you find helpful?
Pastor 2: I set aside two days a week for rest and to spend time with family. I do my best to keep that time sacred for that purpose. When something in ministry comes up that interrupts that time, I attempt to make it up to my family at another time. I assign tasks to each day of the week to ensure that I accomplish what needs to be done. I do sermon prep and other strategic planning during my peak thinking hours. There is nothing heroic or beneficial to not taking vacations, so I use the time my church has graciously given to me. Everyone needs to get away from the daily grind.
Pastor 3: I drop my responsibilities in “buckets.” I have regular rhythms for my weekly responsibilities and try, as best as possible, to keep the schedule. Pastoring is not a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job, but I do my best to carve out the evening hours for my family and, when that is not possible, I find ways to give back.
Pastor 4: My wife and I spend a lot of time together. We enjoy one another, and she often visits with me when she can. I practice a few spiritual disciplines. I also read books, write, stay active with exercise, and maintain a reasonably healthy diet.
Pastor 5: I try to keep a strict start/stop work schedule, minus emergencies. It can be easy to let ministry become a 24/7 job, but that also leads to burnout.
Pastor 6: I am blessed to be forced to take every Friday and Saturday off. Being disciplined in “unplugging” has allowed me to remain in ministry.
Pastor 7: Ministry never turns off. Someone will always need you for something. And, as much as that is true, pastors can create imbalance in their lives through insecurity and needing to be needed. That said, it’s good to have boundaries and general rules to protect you and your family. Space will limit what I can say here, but the rhythm that I have is to truly rest from dinner on Friday evening to dinner on Saturday evening. That time is reserved for my family. There are other times that can be family times as well, but this rhythm helps me stay grounded in busy or difficult weeks. There may be emergencies or other invitations that break this, but I have found this time easy to keep since I implemented this rhythm. Many emergencies are not true emergencies, and if we decide to accept an invitation to do something else, then fine, that was a decision we made as a family and feel good about. Very simply, since implementing this rhythm we have found it easy to say no to things we would have felt obligated in the past to say yes to. As a result, we are healthier and more refreshed.
Pastor 8: Establishing and maintaining balance between marriage, family, ministry and life is very important. Ministry is demanding and requires a lot of time. Therefore, it is very important to have guidelines, establish boundaries and keep a calendar of important events for marriage, family, ministry and life. My family always knew that Friday night was family night. We always planned a vacation, and we planned some weekends away throughout the year. When we manage our calendars well, we establish a routine that creates healthy rhythms and maintains balance.
Pastor 10: In many ways, my whole family is involved in our church ministry, so we are doing life together through our ministry efforts. At the same time, we enjoy vacations and completing personal projects at home. I also try spending time with my wife on a date night or going for a walk.
Q: What are some of the obstacles to spiritual growth and maturity that you observe in your congregation?
Pastor 1: Apathy. Contentment. Engagement in activities other than church. To some degree, fear.
Pastor 2: Some do not participate in the discipleship opportunities that are available. Many times, I can connect members who have constant drama and struggles to the fact that they limit their time in worship and study to one hour a week, if that. Some claim that Jesus is their Savior, but they live as though He’s not their Lord. If only they would surrender to Jesus, He could do a major work in their lives.
Pastor 3: The greatest obstacle that I see is that the world is out-discipling the church. Everyone, regardless if they are a believer or unbeliever, is a theologian — they have beliefs about God. Some are biblical views about God, many are unbiblical views about God and His character. There are also varying viewpoints about the world — our problems and solutions. It’s called a worldview. And, for many in the church, CNN and Fox News disciple congregants more consistently than pastors and church leaders.
Pastor 4: The two I feel are most prominent are related: A lack of personal discipline (self-denial in place of self-gratification) and distraction. We live in a distracted culture that takes our focus away from spending time with God outside the church. I feel like very few believers are disciplined about reading the Bible and spending unhurried time in prayer.
Pastor 5: I notice that there are some that lack commitment to weekly/consistent worship attendance and hearing the Word of God preached, as well as lack of participation in our discipleship process – small groups, Bible studies and adult ministry opportunities. All of these are opportunities for growth, which if not taken advantage of, will lead to spiritual immaturity over time.
Pastor 6: Satan has unleashed a weapon of mass disruption against the church today, and that weapon is busyness. They are distracted and over-committed to far too many non-eternal things that the things that really matter get little to no attention.
Pastor 7: 1. Apathy. Many have a lack of motivation and desire to grow. 2. Pathways. This may be part of the cause of the “many” that are apathetic. Even when people want to grow, we struggle to have clear pathways to help them grow into mature Christ-followers. 3. Opportunity. It’s hard to continue to create opportunities designed for all the various giftings in the church body. 4. Polity. The solo pastor model limits my equipping capacity, limits the growth opportunities for some in our congregation, limits the wisdom of decision-making in our church, and limits our desire as a congregation to raise up leaders for our own body, but also in order to send out some to help revitalize and plant other congregations. Since pastors are lead equippers (Ephesians 4), polity plays a big part in the maturation potential of a congregation.
Pastor 8: Some of our people are more inward focused as opposed to reaching out to our community. Other obstacles to spiritual growth and maturity are apathy as it relates to sharing the gospel, gossip, racism, political activism, cliques, emphasis on formal dress code, worship wars, legalism and the Constitution seem to be more important and carry more weight in the church than the Bible. I mention these things because they are obstacles to spiritual growth and maturity in our church. We also have people who are very involved and want to see God move through our church in a powerful way. We have many people who are willing to do whatever we need to do to honor God, serve our community and advance His kingdom.
Pastor 9: The busyness of their routines (sports, extra-curricular activities), and for some, just pure old apathy.
Pastor 10: I think there are two major obstacles that hinder a congregation from growing spiritually. The first is a lack of training. Most of the folks where I serve want to make a difference for Christ but feel inadequately trained. It seems the weeks go by so quickly that if we are not intentional about our equipping ministry our folks never fully get the needed training that brings confidence to their lives as Christians. At the same time, because life is so busy, there is a temptation not to make one’s spiritual growth a priority and allow other pursuits to become a major obstacle to communing with the Lord.
Q: How do you feed your own soul and care for your own spiritual, physical, mental and emotional well-being?
Pastor 2: Personal quiet time with prayer and Scripture reading. Watching online sermons from pastors I trust. Staying active. Getting away to fish.
Pastor 3: I spend daily time with the Lord, I exercise five times a week, and I take a day off with my family.
Pastor 4: I practice some spiritual disciplines, exercise and eat reasonably well. I also have outlets or hobbies outside of ministry like playing with and caring for our dogs. I also read, write, and watch movies, and I enjoy listening to music.
Pastor 5: I try to have a consistent quiet time each day, and I try to avoid burnout by taking time to exercise, enjoy hobbies (hunting and fishing) and take a yearly two-week vacation.
Pastor 6: I had a seminary professor say once, “Feed your own soul. Otherwise you will starve to death in the kitchen.” If we are always feeding (or preparing to feed) others, it won’t be long before burnout will be knocking at our door. I listen to podcasts from respected leaders and preachers as a matter of disciplined practice.
Pastor 7: I’m an early riser. Mornings are for reading, meditating and praying. I usually work through a portion of Scripture and pray through that portion. I think about the day ahead and pray toward the challenges and opportunities the day might bring. I also like to read deep theology in the mornings as it tends to stir my heart and mind Godward and lingers with me throughout the day. I’m guarded with my evenings. I do my best to spend most of them with my family. I wind down with my wife every night, without exception, unless I’m away. We will sometimes watch a show, but often we will end up pausing it to talk about other things. We love to be together and nights with her bring restoration to my life.
Pastor 8: I care for my own spiritual, emotional and mental well-being by trying to be consistent in personal time with God through Bible reading, prayer and worship. I listen to biblical preaching, podcasts that speak into my life and worship music. I also enjoy spending time with my family. I enjoy good food, walking, playing sports and watching sports. There are many things in life to enjoy. Being healthy in all aspects of life means to enjoy the ride, take the good with the bad, behold the beauty of God’s creation, eat good food, laugh at yourself and make great memories with the most important people in your life. Being healthy in all aspects of life comes from living with integrity, saying yes to God’s Word, saying yes to God’s will and trusting God by faith in all things.
Pastor 10: I learned a long time ago that if I am not taking care of my soul, I will be significantly less effective in ministry. Thus, I have an accountability partner that helps hold me accountable for my private devotional time, physical fitness, family time, and personal growth as a leader and person. I meet with him once a month. I also have become a better self-learner. I spend time reading, doing research and writing. I always have a project I am working on that often serves as a brief healthy distraction from the emotional and mental work that accompanies ministry.
Q: What’s something that you wish members of your congregation better understood or knew about pastoral ministry?
Pastor 1: The load and burden a pastor carries. The load being the physical work each week and all that is expected and done by a pastor that the congregation never sees. The burden being the heart cry and concern for the souls under my watch care.
Pastor 2: Even if their pastor has time off, he’s never off work. He struggles with his own sin, burdens and personal issues, while carrying the issues of his flock, as well. A little encouragement goes a long way. If you take care of your pastor financially, he is able to focus more on what God has called him to in ministry.
Pastor 3: Pastoral ministry never stops and there is never a finish line. I wish more church members understood that pastoral ministry, likened to a race, is more like a marathon than a sprint.
Pastor 4: The average member doesn’t know how much their pastor cares and wants to see them grow in their faith. And not seeing that is really hard emotionally. It is exhausting wanting something for someone more than they want it for themselves and trying to figure out how to motivate someone to want it is frustrating. When Jesus asked the man by the pool of Siloam if he wanted to be well after he had been lame for three decades may seem like an odd question, but not everyone wants to be well. Most will say they want to be well, but few will make changes. What they want is someone to make them well without any personal effort.
Pastor 5: That shepherding the flock is a 24/7 calling. We go to bed and wake up with a burden for their salvation and sanctification.
Pastor 6: I wish they understood that their “issue” is not the only “issue” I am dealing with.
Pastor 7: I wish they reflected more on the reality that pastors rarely, if ever, desire to disappoint them. One goal of pastoring is to shepherd the congregation to maturity in Christ. Many times this long-term goal results in present disappointment and frustration. These feelings are often used against the pastor, who, under God, is desiring to lead his people in the way that they should go. No, it’s probably not the way they would have done it or preferred to go about it, but that doesn’t make it wrong. A pastor usually knows he is entering into conflict when he makes certain decisions. And while he doesn’t want the conflict, fallout, frustrations and disappointments that he’s met with often times, congregations need to realize that he makes these certain decisions anyway because he loves God more than men’s praise, and he loves his people, even the ones who will cause him the most problems as a result of the decision that he’s making. Don’t be the person that criticizes every decision the pastor makes. Chances are he loves you more than you know and doesn’t want to disappoint you, but he’s doing what he’s doing to see you grow into maturity in Christ.
Pastor 8: I am a regular person that God called and set apart for ministry. Be patient with me and give me a break — sometimes I mess up and make mistakes. If you spend enough time with me, I will disappoint you. I don’t have all the answers. As a matter of fact, I don’t even know all the right questions. I can’t be everywhere at the same time, and I can’t be at every ministry event or visit everyone when they need to be seen. Oftentimes deacons or other members of the congregation are willing to visit those who need to be seen, but some people expect the pastor to attend all the events and see every member who needs a visit. Every member of the congregation needs to understand if a deacon, staff member or someone else in the church comes to visit you but the pastor doesn’t make it, it’s OK because someone came to see you, care for you and pray for you.
Pastor 9: The fact that a pastor does not have a pastor.
Pastor 10: Serving as pastor is, in my estimation, the greatest responsibility given to man. The weight of that responsibility never stops as long as you are in ministry. It does not go away once you leave the office in the afternoon. Thus, the greatest gift you can give your pastor is to pray that he will remain faithful and steadfast even when no one is looking.
Q: Is there anything that you wish you could say to your congregation but don’t feel like you can?
Pastor 2: Stop seeking the glory of the good ole days of the church. When you keep looking in the rearview mirror, you miss what’s right in front of you. Oftentimes, what God has planned for your future will be greater than what you’ve experienced in the past.
Pastor 3: Not really. I have a wonderful, supportive congregation who loves Jesus, loves the Word and my family. Are we perfect? No. But I am blessed.
Pastor 4: My day off is Thursday. If it’s not important, call me Friday.
Pastor 5: Y’all need to stop being so selfish.
Pastor 6: Please don’t say “Good sermon, Pastor” if you have no plans of changing anything in your life as a result. I don’t do this to entertain people.
Pastor 7: America is not a Christian nation, and probably never was. And that’s OK. But even if I’m wrong on those statements, our social media accounts, demeaning characterizations of the Left and our unbalanced passion for politics are not helping to advance the Kingdom of God. Character matters. Your character matters. We do not belong to this world, yet our political passions seem to suggest that the only thing that matters is establishing the agenda of the so-called Christian Right. We replaced God’s kingdom for this much lesser temporary one. Sure, have an opinion and exercise your right to vote, but let your identity in Christ be the most known thing about you.
Pastor 8: I actually say this to our congregation, but some do not seem to understand — sin means to miss the mark. We all have sinned, and we all have fallen short of the glory of God. We are saved by grace through faith. Stop treating others with a critical and judgmental spirit because someone sins differently than you. That is what the Pharisees did. Every sinner needs a Savior. Love everyone in your world like Jesus and stop condemning others. I would also like to say we must stop making excuses for our own sin and must not rationalize sinful behavior. When we rationalize our sin, Satan makes stupid things make sense.
Pastor 10: No, they give me a lot of freedom to preach the Word. There are sometimes I want to address politics, but I try to keep the focus on the gospel and not my political opinions.
Q: For those considering or preparing for ministry, what’s one piece of advice you’d share?
Pastor 1: Psalm 46:10 – my life verse. God is always in control. Follow Him. Rest in Him. Enjoy Him. Abide in Him. Bury yourself in Him, and He will handle the rest.
Pastor 2: Before you jump into a paid ministry position, spend time under a faithful, experienced pastor as an intern or assistant. College and seminary training are good, but it rarely prepares you for the “real world” of relational ministry. I’ve never met a pastor who hasn’t said or acknowledged “Seminary didn’t prepare me for that.” Watching a local pastor handle these situations will teach you what to do, and in some cases, what not to do. Either way, you’re learning things that will inform your decisions down the road.
Pastor 3: Make sure you are called of God. Some days the only thing that will keep you in ministry is your calling.
Pastor 4: If you haven’t already, begin spending a lot of time reading and studying the Bible beyond sermon prep. And spend a lot of time in prayer seeking God’s will, wisdom, discernment and direction. And never stop doing these two things.
Pastor 5: Make sure this is a divine calling, not something you think you heard God say because James tells us that we’re under stricter judgment. Ministry isn’t easy, but if done by the Spirit, is worth it.
Pastor 6: The bride of Christ is not near as beautiful as she ought to be…yet. Your job is to care for her as you find her. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict her. It is the Bridegroom’s job to present her to Himself blameless. Focus on your job.
Pastor 7: Develop good habits now. Your habits will balance you and carry you along in ministry. If you don’t have a habit of meeting with God then you probably won’t meet with Him regularly when you get into ministry. This will be tragic for both you and your people. Other than that, be patient, learn people, study change, read, think about hard things and the deep things of God, learn to listen, and value the opinions of others.
Pastor 8: The advice I would give someone preparing for ministry is this: Run the race God has called you to race. Don’t compare yourself to others. Keep your eyes and your heart focused on Jesus. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. The plans God has for you are special and specific. As you run your race: Run with passion. Run with purpose. Run with self-control. Run with urgency. Run with integrity. James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (CSB).
Pastor 9: Make sure that you are called and not looking for a profession. Be prepared for the unpreparable. Pray, pray and then pray some more.
Pastor 10: Be willing to give your life away for the cause of the gospel, and never let anyone in your church out-serve you. If you can do that, you will be OK in ministry.
(EDITOR’S NOTE – An abbreviated version of this feature appeared in the October 2022 edition of the Biblical Recorder magazine.)
