Why would anybody want to be a pastor

[g'day mate]

Because Pastors and their wives and kids are subjected to so much of the X factor, why do you do it.I know its not the money. Which leads me to the next question. What is the average life of a Pastor,how long does he stay in the job for?
P.s. I thought it wiser to put in X ,I'll let you work out what it might mean.
John

 

[I Am Blessed 24]

I would hope that most men become pastors because they wouldn't be happy doing anything else.

Sue

 

[Helen]

Why does a doctor become a doctor, or an artist become an artist? The Lord has created us each with individual personalities and talents. When one becomes born again in Christ, these personalities and talents and then directed towards serving the Lord and others. A heart for people and standing up for what is right might make a lawyer out of a non-Christian and a pastor out of a Christian (no, I'm NOT implying that lawyers aren't Christian, OK?!).

Pastors are given a special heart for the work from the Lord, and the skills to go with it are added and refined by Him.

It used to be a profession many entered for every reason in the book OTHER than serving the Lord. Today it has at least come back more to serving the Lord. I'm grateful for that!

 

[Hardsheller]

I am one. And I believe I am one because I was called by God to be one.

But if had seen 1/10 of the stuff I've seen on the Baptist Board before I became one I probably would not have.

 

[Jim1999]

Why become a minister? I am a trained architect and quite happy doing that, and the financial rewards are enormous. It is not the financial return that makes one an architect. It is seeing what you have designed grow to fruition; the fruit of your labours.

It is much the same in ministry. Seeing the fruit of your labours; the joys in seeing people brought to salvation and grow in grace and knowledge. The trials are many in both fields, and sometimes cause great turmoil and dismay, but the joys outweigh the problems.

Some question the idea of "calling" and quote many scriptures to support their idea. I am one who believes it is a "calling". Whilst fully qualified to do other things, I found I could not do else, but serve, and this has endured some 56 years. At 76, I have no regrets and would continue to serve where I am able. The old maxim still applies..."If you can do anything else, do it."

In the Christian religion, I do not discount emotion and feelings. I do not establish doctrine based on feelings, but I sincerely believe the Lord uses these things to give direction. He speaks through His word, and gives me inner peace when I do the things that please Him and benefit the assemblies of God's people.

Why be a pastor? Here I stand and I can do no other......

Cheers,

Jim

 

[Angie Miller]

I would say it has to be the calling that makes good Preachers. Some people sure do give up very high paying jobs, that some are happy in and some are not happy in, to pursue a lower paying job in Ministry. But how low is the pay really?! I mean the rewards have got to be so awesome. It is a very difficult job too do mind you, there is a lot of time away from your family comforting others in their time of need. But what secular occupation could fill your heart and soul like that of being a Minister.
On the other hand, if someone were to go in for the wrong reason, and there are some who do, then they will surely not be content.
Love in Christ, Angie

 

[Daniel David]

I dunno... obedience?

 

[blackbird]

I didn't really, really apply myself until after high school. And it was after high school that I got myself saved although I grew up in a Christian environment--soon I began to feel the call of God on my life for preaching ministry.

I had matured enough in my mentality that I knew I could be anything I set my hands to be--but I knew all I wanted to do was preach--so here I am! I have no desire for anything else!

Blackbird

 

[Angie Miller]

Originally posted by Preach the Word:
I dunno... obedience?

GOOD POINT!

 

[g'day mate]

I believe that Our Lord has a very special place in paradise for Pastors and their family,you deserve it.Please try to explain how do you blokes (guys) tolerate the xxxxx factor, help me.what do you do other than pray for tolerence. One third of all Pastors and families suffer some kind of a X factor problem. lets be honest these odds are not what you would call great.OK lets talk about the x factor,how many of your flock have an self ego problem? Why do some of your (congregation ) think that you are so close to God that you are able to perform like God. Some of you Pastors must have looked at your job SPEC, and thought that these Blokes are out of their mind they are in fairy land.I regard myself as just an averege bloke, its hard enough for me just to please my wife,how do you expect to perform the x factor for your congregation as well as your family.I believe that some Congregations have a X factor problem,what say you?
John

 

[Jim1999]

When one first starts out, he tries to please everyone and generally comes up short. As time goes by, he realizes he only has to please the Lord. When he changes this direction, so the other incidentals fade into insignificance. You get on with the work before you and let everything fall by the side.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[g'day mate]

I some how get the feeling that, leave it alone,as nobody wants to answer. I am not to ask such questions? ok jobs done.

 

[Angie Miller]

Originally posted by g'day mate:
[QB] Because Pastors and their wives and kids are subjected to so much of the X factor, why do you do it.I know its not the money. Which leads me to the next question. What is the average life of a Pastor,how long does he stay in the job for?
John ]

I have heard that the average time a Pastor stays at a Church is 5-7 years. Now if that is accurate I do not know. Since I have been a Member of my Church we have had 3 Pastors. One for 7 years, he left the year after we came. One for 1 1/2 years, and the current one, well I guess we will wait and see, so far 6 months.
I hope that answers your question.
Love in Christ Angie

 

[g'day mate]

Yea I suppose, when I asked this question I thought People would jump out of the woodwork,and explain or expose their feelings more, this may have been a chance for the younger Pastors to learn more and for Pastors to express their feelings so we as members of the congregation would have a better understanding.

 

[Ben W]

Well John I have just stepped out to plant a Seventh Day Baptist Church in Adelaide, and am now Pastoring a small group.

Why? God has called me to it and I love it. I am sure we are in for tough times as well as good times, but ultimatley it is for the Lord and that is what counts.

 

[Deacon]

My Pastor says, "you shouldn't be a pastor if you could do anything else". --- Now what he means is that it has to be a passion.

 

[Mitsy]

While I know many wonderful men of God have been called to preach, I would certainly think twice about marrying a minister...for several reasons.

For one, a pastor's wife needs to be an equal (or near equal) partner in his ministry. I've seen many good pastors lose parishioners due to their wives just not living up to the expectations of what a "pastor's wife" should be. At the Evangelical-Free Church I was a member of for many years, the talk was and still is that the pastor's wife is simply not someone most women feel comfortable talking to. She is the type whom you might call for something and then SHE is the one who ends the conversation quickly..she is simply too busy for the "flock". This happened to several women that I knew. The lack of real concern by the pastor's wife for parishoners was just another reason for me to leave.

But another drawback as far as being called to be a pastor...certain ones outstay their usefulness in any given church. I think sometimes 10-15 years is too long when you have heard every sermon at least several times. Some pastors get too comfortable and end up getting lax in their duties. They tend to forget the long-time attenders and focus exclusively on the "new" people who come IF there are any newcomers. There was also a stagnate feeling among people who had been long-time members. They got little or nothing out of the sermons--this was the case for myself as well.

I used to look at the United Methodist Churches and think they were really awful for making their ministers relocate after 3-5 years, however, I have had to re-think my stand on that. I can now see the positive side for a congregation, although that is probably a drawback for the pastor and his family.

Once in a while, there is a really great pastor/wife team who comes along and they seem to almost walk on water. The majority of the parishioners think they are wonderful. However, I've seen this combination very few times during my 30+ years of attending church.

I also don't care for the practice (as was common at the E-Free and many Baptist churches) of interviewing a candidate and having to decide then and there if he is the right one for the job. Even if there are other people who have applied for the pastor's job, if you say yes to one, then you don't have the opportunity to even interview anyone else. Don't know who made up that rule, but it always seem to be unfair to the congregation to have to decide on one without hearing all of the ones who applied for the position. A secular job would not think of interviewing people in this manner. Who the pastor is and how he relates to others is too big a factor to not see and hear all who apply for the position.

These are just a few of my thoughts..but I think it is NOT a job for just anyone. It is an admirable one, but comes with many thorns as well as roses. A person considering the ministry needs to look at all of these things before deciding to pursue this line of work.

 

[JonathanDT]

I could give a couple reasons for wanting to be a pastor, but then I could give 10 times more for not wanting to be one.

IMHO, being a pastor is the hardest job there is. You're life is in a spotlight, your children are watched constantly from the day they are born, you're wife is held to incredibly high expectations(realistic and otherwise, where's it written that she has to hold at least 3 "jobs" in the church?), you and your family are held to the combined standards of everyone in the church, ect. ect. ect. Then again, if God calls...

I must say, I have more respect for pastor's than anyone else in the world, especially PK's who become pastor's, they know exactly what they're getting into.

Mitsy, both my parents are PKs. When my mom was in high school/college, she said the ONE person she would NEVER marry, was a pastor. Guess what my dad is?

 

[Gina B]

A pastor once said he did it AT FIRST because he had visions of being loved by all, little children looking up adoringly at him, people everywhere respectfully calling him pastor, butterflies landing on his shoulder as he walked through meadows, etc..
Said he had a rude awakening but wouldn't give it up for the world.

Gina

 

[RTB]

My best friend was called to this ministry and consequently became my Pastor as well. He and I were talking about the demands this calling places on him and his family and I told him that being a Pastor is kind of like being a door to door salesman, you've got a great product and it is either going to be rejected or accepted, sometimes rather harshly rejected, the trick is not to let the rejections deter him from knocking on the next door.
I think that this is a good forum for the Pastors out there make it known how members of the congregation can help them in the work they are called to do. If I'd been aware of more things before my friend was called, I would have been trying to do more things to help. There are alot of willing people out here and if they only knew......

In Christ

Ronnie