Preachers Quitting

[drfuss]

Absolutely right.

And it's not just pastors who feel this. I don't know of anyone who has stayed in the same kind of job for years and years without wanting to quit or even taking a leave of absence. They are just as called to their "secular" jobs as we have been to the ministry.

This is particularly true for management type jobs, where you are in a large organization where the manager is not this owner and cannot be free to make all the decisions. I was an upper level manager in the civil service where it was almost impossible to get rid of people who did not do their job. I just had to put up with them.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Have you ever given any thought to why Jesus seperated people info groups of 50 & 100s in Luke 9:14 & Mark 6:40? Just wondering

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

This is by far the position I find myself in the most. The way my family has been treated by certain individuals over the years - most of whom have long since left the church - and the hurt they have gone through - it makes me feel "guilty" that I couldn't prevent it, even though I am convinced that I'm doing what God would have me do.

All kids make their own decisions, but like I said, certain people made my daughter feel so unwelcome that she left the church for several months, promising never to come back among these "so-called" Christians.

Did it make me want to quit? If you want to hear pleasantries and polished speech, I will say that I never, repeat, never stopped trusting in the Lord. If you want to hear me in my weakness and humanity, I will say I felt useless to my family, useless to the church, useless to effect change even as God's vessel.

I didn't quit. Things aren't necessarily always easy, but God has provided me an ability to cope. I think in a way that the experience of hurt somehow makes the pastor more suited to ministry, not less.

But it sure doesn't make it fun.

May I ask...is this perpetuated (this burn out thing) by money...ie lack of? Also human nastiness....aren't they just excersizing their sin natures.

 

[salzer mtn]

Let me re-phrase the question. If a preacher of the gospel or a servant or whatever you want to call him is active in his service, is there any good reason from a biblical point of view he should quit this position ?

Here is some scripture that I think applies to this post. Luke 14:25-33 And there went a great multitude with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it ? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all that behold begin to mock him, ect. Luke 9:59-62 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord I will follow thee; but let me first go and bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. I believe if a person is really called of God to preach his word, and then quits, he will never have peace of mind until he takes up this cross again. If a man can quit and then with peace of mind prosper in this world, he was never called to began with.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Here is some scripture that I think applies to this post. Luke 14:25-33 And there went a great multitude with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it ? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all that behold begin to mock him, ect. Luke 9:59-62 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord I will follow thee; but let me first go and bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. I believe if a person is really called of God to preach his word, and then quits, he will never have peace of mind until he takes up this cross again. If a man can quit and then with peace of mind prosper in this world, he was never called to began with.

Those are tough words. However I seriously do not believe it applies to today's modern Pastor's. As soon as you make it a money making business it is my opinion you loose.

 

[Dr. Bob]

Interesting discussion.

After 23 years "full time vocational pastor" I shifted to "bi-vocational" mission work in 1992. Never considered this a change in "ministry", just a change in how we got the $$ to pay bills.

Working with new church planting or recovery ministries and working 12-15 hours a week did not impact our spiritual ministry and did give needed funds. I do not EVER plan to "quit" ministry completely, but now on social security and my energy level/health is not 100% so am thankful to be at another stage of ministry that is not as "demanding" as when I pastored a large church, had a Christian school, 10 staff, etc.

Blending secular work (at my wife's clinic) and spiritual work (at my small church-plant) is a good place for me right now.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Interesting discussion.

After 23 years "full time vocational pastor" I shifted to "bi-vocational" mission work in 1992. Never considered this a change in "ministry", just a change in how we got the $$ to pay bills.

Working with new church planting or recovery ministries and working 12-15 hours a week did not impact our spiritual ministry and did give needed funds. I do not EVER plan to "quit" ministry completely, but now on social security and my energy level/health is not 100% so am thankful to be at another stage of ministry that is not as "demanding" as when I pastored a large church, had a Christian school, 10 staff, etc.

Blending secular work (at my wife's clinic) and spiritual work (at my small church-plant) is a good place for me right now.

raying::thumbsup:
I liked your frank comments Bob, shows balance

 

[USN2Pulpit]

May I ask...is this perpetuated (this burn out thing) by money...ie lack of? Also human nastiness....aren't they just excersizing their sin natures.

I can't answer for everyone, but as for myself, it's absolutely not money related. I'm curious as to what made you think of that?

And yes, people exercise their sin nature - pastor included sometimes. I have been at fault sometimes too.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

I can't answer for everyone, but as for myself, it's absolutely not money related. I'm curious as to what made you think of that?

And yes, people exercise their sin nature - pastor included sometimes. I have been at fault sometimes too.

I have a brother who was an IFB pastor & quit....they were starving to death.

 

[Aaron]

Here is some scripture that I think applies to this post. Luke 14:25-33 And there went a great multitude with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it ? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all that behold begin to mock him, ect. Luke 9:59-62 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord I will follow thee; but let me first go and bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. I believe if a person is really called of God to preach his word, and then quits, he will never have peace of mind until he takes up this cross again. If a man can quit and then with peace of mind prosper in this world, he was never called to began with.

I think the verses you posted are a description of the cost of discipleship. It applies to anyone taking the name of Christ. I do not think Christ is saying once you get in the pulpit you'd better not quit.

 

[salzer mtn]

I think the verses you posted are a description of the cost of discipleship. It applies to anyone taking the name of Christ. I do not think Christ is saying once you get in the pulpit you'd better not quit.

You ever heard of Jonah ?

 

[Aaron]

You ever heard of Jonah ?

Nope. Who's she?

 

[Tom Bryant]

You ever heard of Jonah ?

Jonah was disobedient. God told him to go and he ran. It's a big jump from Jonah's disobedience to a pastor leaving the ministry. Are you certain that God didn't tell him to leave church pastoral ministry? You are sitting outside of a situation and judging him by what you think the Bible teaches.

I have some other thots but wil pm you.

 

[salzer mtn]

Jonah was disobedient. God told him to go and he ran. It's a big jump from Jonah's disobedience to a pastor leaving the ministry. Are you certain that God didn't tell him to leave church pastoral ministry? You are sitting outside of a situation and judging him by what you think the Bible teaches.

I have some other thots but wil pm you.

I don't think that servants of God, preachers, ministers, whatever you want to call them had pulpits in Jonah's day to leave. The bottom line is that God told Jonah to go cry against Ninivah or preach against it, same thing but Jonah rebelled against God, quit and went the other way. Jonah had his reasons just like preachers today have their reasons to quit. A reason a man quits his office today is to him just as big a reason as Jonah's excuse. Chastisement was upon Jonah from the Lord until Jonah got back into his calling, Rom 11:29 For the gifts and callings of God are without repentance. God still used Jonah in his moment of rebellion, You might ask how? As the sea began to quake and the mariners were afraid and began to call upon their false Gods, Jonah steps forward declares he is a Hebrew and he feared the Lord and the reason the tempest is upon them. In the end the Mariners, had a change of mind, called upon the true God and became worshipers of the Lord. A true called preacher may leave his pulpit but he can't leave that, that God has placed within him, it will come out even if he wants to hide it.

 

[Rippon]

I think if you knew the Scriptures better you wouldn't have said this.

Even when he knows certain select passages he deliberately goes against them in practice.

 

[dh1948]

I don't think I can add much to the discussion except to give my personal experience. After nearly 38 years as a fully-funded senior pastor, I left the full-time pastoral ministry. I was under pressure from a few of the deacons to resign my position as pastor. It had nothing to do with any moral failure. They felt the "dry spell" we had been having for over a year was an indication that I needed to step down and make room for a new, younger pastor. It was either resign or be terminated. I opted to resign. I never felt any conviction from God that I had done the wrong thing. In fact, I had a lot of peace with God about my decision. I remained out of the pastorate for about a year. During those months, I had to opportunity to preach over eighty times as a fill-in and supply preacher. God eventually opened the door for me to take on a new role in ministry, other than being a pastor. I love it. It seems it was tailor-made for me. It utilizes my gifts of administration and preaching/teaching. There are some well-meaning people who see me as having "quit the ministry." That's ok. I know that God led me to be a full-time pastor for 38 years. I also know that He took the situation I faced at my last church to prepare me for what He has me doing now. I am at peace in knowing that I am being obedient to God as I continue to be a minister of a gospel, though not a pastor.

I will be the last person to condemn a man for "leaving the ministry," and the last person to say that the reason they left is that they were never called to start with. When God was passing around omniscience He bypassed me. I am sure that there are men who decide they were mistaken about being called to ministry and quit. To me, their quitting is an act of courage and obedience to God. There are those who are called to ministry by God, endure years of pressure, neglect, abuse as pastors, and finally call it quits. I do not condemn them. I never know all the circumstances that lead to their decision. They are not accountable to me. I accept them as my brothers in Christ who have probably been wounded in the battle.

I suspect that there would be thousands of more men "leaving the ministry" each year if there was any other way they could make a living.