For the first half of my ministry, like many pastors, I occupied the second chair of leadership. In this season of ministry, I was actively forming a view of ministry and the church, both from a biblical and practical sense. I was in the midst of finishing up my MDiv, as well as desperately reading anything on the topic of ministry, discipleship, and leadership that I could get my hands on. And as anyone who has done ministry will find out, the realities of ministry and the ideals of ministry are quite different.
Yet I think what surprised me most was the practical advice I got from older ministers. I would talk to them about where the church, in its practice or doctrine, would differ from what God’s Word says, and I would find myself shocked and discouraged. Essentially, the vast majority of the time, there would be some agreement on the topic, but the attitude had become, “That will never happen here or where I am serving.”
This wasn’t just pastors that I served alongside, but also ministers I would meet in associations and men that I would have looked at as mentors.
I have seen pastors chewed up and spit out by churches firsthand. It is a brutal experience. I have seen pastors attempt to make changes and have seen them shoved back down and been met with calls from those around them to resign.
Ministry is brutal, and I myself have been chewed up and spit out a time or two, yet my desire is to avoid the bitterness that accompanies this.
The first practical step I have taken around this trap has been to stay in the work.
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” — 1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)
I have seen pastors consistently leave after 18–36 months. This pushes the problem in both directions. From the pastor’s side, when we leave “because the Lord is calling us,” and by that we mean the obstacles became too much, it conditions us to expect failure and keep hoping things will be better. For the churches, it can destroy the trust in their pastor and end up building systems required to fill the leadership vacuum.
The second practical step I would take is stay. Stay faithful to Christ and His Bride. Watch your life and doctrine.
“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” — 1 Timothy 4:16 (ESV)
Ministry is a fire; it can either purify you or burn you to a crisp. Staying faithful and close to Christ, even when it is tough, enables you to persist in love for the body.
The longer you stay, the more you see God working. Maybe not in those you would expect, but you can see your biggest opponents become your biggest supporters. You can see people who kept their distance start to draw near. Staying close to Christ enables you to forgive and press on. Christ did not abandon His disciples when they spoke foolishly, and He didn’t smite the Pharisees every time they questioned Him. He persistently rebuked and reproved.
The third step out of this trap should not surprise you: it is to stay. Stay in prayer.
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” — Colossians 4:2 (ESV)
Pray that God would expand your love for His people. Look to clear examples in the Apostle Paul’s letters that, despite the flaws in the church, he stays in contact, stays in prayer, and never gives up on the people of God, despite the suffering he endures.
So many pastors get burned out because their vision, theology, and plans don’t come to fruition in the timeline they set in their hearts. If you want your church to be more evangelistic, stay. If you want your church to be better at discipleship, stay. If you feel led to lead your church in disability ministry, stay. If you desire for your church to be healthier and turn toward a more biblical model of ministry, stay. Be faithful and trust the Lord to build his house and grow his people.
Let love conquer the bitterness, and don’t give Satan room to work.
Stay, and stay faithful.