Trials of the Ministry

I can see that. I think I just misundertood you b/c of the other thread I wrote our of some personal pain, and you took it and went with the soft and cushy job thing. No problem. I know you know probably better than most what its like.

 

Maybe you should think about unionizing pastors so they can get protection against poor church leaders and pastor search committees who lie to the potential pastor and then he finds a huge surprise. Unionizing pastors would make it tougher to terminate a poor pastor and promote a good one too. It would give them good job security, health benefits, vacation and retirement. </font>[/QUOTE]I hope you are joking.

 

Being a pastor is unlike any job you'll have. While I am not a pastor, I am looking for a church to minister in beginning in June when I retire from the Navy.

As a pastor, you may not work like others do. The work that is done is mentally tough, not physically tough, although at times it can be physically exhausting. You have normal everyday routine matters, then you go home. Many times when most folks are home relaxing, the phone rings at the pastor's house because someone needs him. Because he is a shepherd and wants to care for the sheep that have been entrusted to him, he drops what he's doing and goes to minister to the flock. When counseling, sometimes the weight of the problems entrusted to him lays on his shoulders like a yoke on an ox. It is heavy, but because the pastor has been called by God to perform this function, the pastor carries the yolk and doesn't complain.

I feel for SBC1303. He spends a lot of hours in the office where people probably drop by to say hi and spend an hour talking to him, or they see him at Walmart and use that opportunity to talk to him "off the clock" preventing him from doing the things he needs to do. Many church members are oblivious to the demand placed on today's pastors after all they only work two days a week.

I don't mean to come off a bit testy, but the life of a pastor is not what it looks like when you see him preach. For most pastors, that's the easiest time of the week. It's the hours in between that are tough.

One of the most important things I've learned over the years and in my studies is that boundaries must be set and adhered to by the pastor and the congregation. I bet that SBC has a time in his study that is probably off limits, perhaps during his sermon prep time or his prayer time, maybe both.

Respect your pastor, love him and let him know that you love him and are praying for him. And by all means, when he it's his day off, don't drop by his house.

 

I have had bad experiences with unions while as a general contractor and people while I was a pastor. As a contractor the unions bugged me for awhile until my workers ran them off. They never came again. I had a very good reputation because people trusted me to do what I said I would do.

As a pastor there were a few times I had to take a stance against heresy and the people who promoted it.

It seems that when we look at others we seem to think we have it so bad and the other person has it so good until we get in their shoes.

In a large factory where I was working one of the men who was under me in another department regularly complained about some things I did because it didn't make his job easier. What he didn't realize is that I had other obligations to meet which were more important. When I was promoted he took my job and lasted four months.

Anyone who works hard will have so little time and so much to do.

When I pastored I preached three different sermons each week and sometimes four. If there was a fuenral that was another. One December I have eight people die in the congregation. Each week I knocked on doors in the community. I knocked on 75-200 doors each month. On Sat. I led a discipleship study and then on Sunday I led another discipleship study. Once a week I visited people unless they were in the hospital. In two years another pastor and myself started two churches while we pastored. I was head of the missions committee in our association. I usually went to bed around 10 and got up at 5. I did the same things when I was a contractor. The big difference was that my phone did not ring near as much when I was a contractor. When I was a contactor I made a lot more money and people showed me a lot more appreciation. It is a lot easier to share your faith when you work a regular job because you gain credibility and people know you as a regular person and are not intimidated by you as though you are a pastor.

 

Thanks for fixing the title, whoever did that.

 

As a "part timer", it is hard work, but we are told that "by the sweat of your face, so shall you eat". However, one thing I've learned, is that "part time" only applies to the pay, so I run a business out of my home (so I control the hours), and I drive a bus.

Driving the bus takes 24 hours per week, running my business takes from 0 - 60 hours per week, and preaching has to mesh with all that. I often study by listening to audios in my shop (James Earl Jones has a nice reading voice for the NT, BTW), carry my PC with me so I can read my Bible in between things, etc.

I generally spend about 20 hours per week preparing my lessons, several hours at church teaching the lessons and other ministering responsibilities.

Would I trade it for anything? No. It's what God has called me to do. (Besides, God has given me a special gift, and I enjoy using it.)

 

"Respect your pastor, love him and let him know that you love him and are praying for him. And by all means, when he it's his day off, don't drop by his house."

In light of John 13.34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another ; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another . 35 By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

I assume that we could also say to the pastors of America "Respect your congregation, love them and let them know that you love them and are praying for them. And by all means, when it's their day off, don't drop by their house."

Does that read about right?

 

I would agree with that as well, but it has been my experience that pastors don't generally drop by someone's home unannounced. An exception might be for church wide visitation.

It is a two way street, but rarely will a pastor call on a member of his church to drop what they are doing to come and help him. When was the last time a member of the congregation was called from a vacation because his pastor needed him?

The thread is about a pastor having a tough job. Yes he has a tough job. The people that openly criticize a pastor are the ones who think he's a hired hand and not called by God to shepherd.

 

"I would agree with that as well, but it has been my experience that pastors don't generally drop by someone's home unannounced. An exception might be for church wide visitation."

Good. As to pastors dropping by, have had them come at all times usually carrying a vcr/tv/computer they want me to fix.

"It is a two way street, but rarely will a pastor call on a member of his church to drop what they are doing to come and help him. When was the last time a member of the congregation was called from a vacation because his pastor needed him?"

Never heard of a pastor being called from a vacation, can't imagine any reason for it, nor do I imagine a pastor would have to do it unless he wanted to.

"The thread is about a pastor having a tough job. Yes he has a tough job."

Its also a thread that speaks of people in the congregation having tough jobs as well. At one time I was in maintenance and got called in when there was need - part of the job. Have had other jobs where I couldn't leave it at work, but again, goes with the job.

"The people that openly criticize a pastor are the ones who think he's a hired hand and not called by God to shepherd."

You don't even use a broad brush, you use a spray gun as you paint. Some that criticize may have that mind set, but I'd guess they are in the minority. Most churches I've been involved with go looking for someone that is called of God, sorry about yours, they are misguided.

 

We have left a vacation early to come home when church members have died. But we werent made to, it was our choice, and we wouldnt have had it any other way. And dh has flown home from 2 other trips for deaths as well. It comes with the territory.

 

now think of the tough parts aand apply to bi-vocational pastor. He has a job 40-55 hrs a week the the ministry 24/7

Also everyone at church has a pastor except the pastor and most everyone at church has Sunday off except the pastor. Jus my $.02

 

I've been there! Oh and the next house we lived in was in the city and we still had a wood heater! Clothes? Well lets just say it was a good thing when I learned to sew my own.

And my daddy wasn't a preacher! (he was a firefighter in a town so small that that while they worked one 24 hour shift in three, they were always on call. And that alarm went off quite often in the middle of the night)

Every job has it's good points and it's bad points. But you don't know what it is like to be on call 24/7 until you have experience it. I would never complain about my preacher hauling his kids around, cause I might be the next one that wakes him up at midnight to deal with some crisis.