Is There a Shortage of Pastors Where You Are? Why is this so?

Yes, they should do all in their power. I agree 100%.

Sometimes however, the means just aren't there and the church needs a pastor. Then faith must come in to play.

 

In these cases, churches should do their best to allow the pastor to find additional employment.

Some of these churches, however, expect a full-time (or more) pastor on part-time pay.

 

Pastor's Faith

Some churches like to focus on the fact that the pastor should live by faith in regard to his pay. In my opinion these churches are those who either cannot afford a full-time pastor or who can, but will not pay him a comfortable salary.

What about the faith of these churches? It would seem to me that they should be willing to demonstrate some faith in this matter, too. If the "best" they can do for their pastor is $26K per year, and he needs $52K per year, why do these churches think that he should be the only one to "trust in the Lord." Suppose such a church as 50 adults who attend regularly. Maybe they should be willing to have the faith to sacrificially give $10 more per person each week (not much of a sacrifice for most people) rather than to "trust the Lord" to meet the extra $500 per week he needs to make ends meet.

Having faith is not just for the pastor.

 

Maybe it is the pastor that should set the example and maybe the sheep will follow his example one day :thumbs:



""Really don't want to sound super spiritual, but doesn't there come a time when we have to trust the Lord to meet our needs?

The key is "needs" oft times. That is what God promises, not our wants. :thumbs:

 

Long shot

Ideally, yes. Realistically, sad to say, it's not probable. As has been said, "Lord, send us a poor, humble pastor. You keep him humble, and we will keep him poor."

 

""Lord, send us a poor, humble pastor. You keep him humble, and we will keep him poor.""

This and other comments make it evident there is a very poor opinion of congregations. They are brothers and sisters in Christ, if you believe in regenerated church membership and live by the belief, and they are SHEEP according to the Word, needing to be led, taught and all that good stuff.

If they are really the faithless, worldly folks they are made out to be, maybe it is because they have not been taught by a man with a godly example in his life.

Don't expect more of them than you are willing to teach them. You men are to be those godly leaders.

Stepping down from the soap box and awaiting incoming :thumbs:

 

Regenerate church membership is more theoretical than actual. When churches persistently refuse to practice church discipline, this completely breaks down.

The problem with many is not that they have not been taught; it is that they are either in need of salvation or have rejected faithful leadership.

 

AMEN!

American churches, even Baptist ones, have failed to operate according to scripture> Church discipline, RIGOROUS evangelism (not "tricking people into Church with programs...big difference), and SCRIPTURE from the pulpit (not cute stories).

This has resulted in congregations that are for the largest part unregenerate, and in need of salvation> to them, Church is a country club where they hang out with buddies.

 

Don't Misunderstand Me.

I don't want anyone to take my comments as "sour grapes." The truth is, I have never had to pastor a church such as those I have described. I have pastored only churches where I was (and am) full-time and very adequately taken care of in the area of financial compensation.

My comments do not come from a cynical pastor who has had to struggle and fight to get his congregation to take care of him.

Over the decades I have seen scores of pastors and their families financially abused by churches....churches that could have well afforded to take care of their pastor in an adequate way. Instead, they chose to keep their pastors financially humiliated and beholden to them.

That's only one scenario that has given me a heart for pastors. In most cases you will find me defending them.

Obviously, as pastors we are to feed the sheep and watch them grow and follow our leadership. Ideally, they will eagerly eat what we have prepared and exhibit spiritual growth and maturity. Hopefully, as they do so, they will begin have a change of heart about needing to take care of their pastor and his family. They will become willing to sell their SUV's, downsize their homes, and deplete their savings if that is what is needed to have sufficient funds to take care of their pastor. (Right...when hades freezes over!)

Maybe it does, as someone has pointed out, go back to an unregenerate church membership. It's impossible to renew minds and hearts that have never been regenerated. It's also impossible to force the true sheep to eat the finest of meals. You can set the finest of tables and call them to eat, but if they have no desire to eat, they will not eat and you can't make them. In fact, the pastor is not called to force feed them. He is called to set the table and

Having said all of that, I am fully aware that there are churches around that sacrificially pay their pastor as much as possible....churches that fully realize that the very best they can do is not adequate. Those churches should be willing to allow their pastors to be bi-vocational and understand that he cannot be at their beck and call 24/7. Providing for his family must come before his obligation to the church.

So, there it is, ladies and gentlemen. Please accept my comments as JMHO.

 

I don't think that is the mood of this thread; it seems more to be the idea that there is a lack of balance on pastoral to congregational expectations and vise versa, in many many churches.

That is my experience of churches in general and I have been a part of Baptist, Non-Denominational and I Pastor a Conservative Congregational Church (Independent). There is a general lack of quality expectations. Many pastors have been wounded by worldly congregations and, so sad to say, many congregations have been tragically wounded by unqualified, uncalled, unskilled, untrustworthy pastors.

These thoughts are not opinion; they are observation of real life situations.

I currently pastor a church which is such a blessing! They support me and my family to the utmost. I trust them and we share a respectful pastoral-congregational relationship. I couldn't be more pleased with where I am.

My last church was NOT so. I was underpaid, which I had agreed to because I sensed a deep call to this church, but I had not agreed to being paid 5 weeks late on many occasions, I did not agree to my health insurance being canceled due to late payment with a pregnant wife, nor did I agree to pastor a church which refused to deal with these problems for lack of offending the "dominant" (and derelict... ) family in the church. I loved them through that as long as I could and then left wounded, but trusting God for the healing which did come ten fold to my expectations. God is good, unfortunately we are often not.

A Pastor MUST look to his first calling as a shepherd; his wife and children. He must provide for them. If he is negligent in this call and successful in the rest he is still a disparate failure. "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (1 Timothy 5:8 NKJV)

 

Major B :

I can understand some of your hurts. Of course, every situation is different.

I ask that the Lord would comfort and heal you and your family. I also ask that the Holy Spirit would guide and direct you to the place of service God desires you to be in.

Don't ever and I mean ever stop preaching the Truth of God! The times we live in need it more than we can ever fully understand.

You are a Warrior of the Cross - don't forget that. Preach the Word!

 

Hey brother,

Been there too. It is best, I would say, to start a church than to try to reform an old one. Unless the Lord really calls you to reformation and the church truly knows your doctrine before accepting you as their pastor, I would consider starting a church. Having a thorough confession of faith to give the search comittee should keep you out of trouble. hahaha

I was interviewed for a youth pastor position and they were satisfied with know that I believed "once saved, always saved." This was the full extent of my theological examination. lol

Now I would hand folks the 1689 LBCF and see if I get a call back. HAHAHA

(Not seeking vocational ministry any longer though)

 

this has been a rough thread to read through since it did reopen some old wounds a little bit.
Thankfully my wife and i are serving a congregation that is dedicated to taking care of it's pastors. It is a small town small membership church, but has had a history of pastors staying over 5 years or more often. The previous 2 pastors left after a couple of years and this has thrown them into a bit of a tail spin. Not a perfect church, but thankfully we can trust them...now if we can get some to serve more that is a different subject!

I've also been through 2 disasters. Asked to resign by the "powers group" from one church when i was promoted to interim pastor while serving as associate. I was never given a reason for this, found out it was because they wanted to pay a new pastor more and didn't really want to pay me.
At the last church i served for 2 1/2 years it was controlled by one family that had stayed there through at least 3 splits, and caused a couple of them, including right before i arrived. We felt God leading us there though and had high hopes and a great vision for what God wanted to do...they disagreed.

Little by little these small country churches with years of history and years of problem are dying off, and i'm not so sure if that is good or bad. More proof that we need revival and we need people to get their hands off God's church and give Him control again.