Podcast Episode #172
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We discuss a recent post on the non-negative reasons pastors give for leaving a church.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
- Not everyone can lead a church of a certain size well.
- The enemy likes nothing more than to get us involved in the Great Distraction.
- Pastors, do you give so much attention to the negatives that you’re neglecting the positives of pastoring?
- There are two things churches don’t do enough intentionally: corporate prayer and evangelism.
- Sometimes a church needs certain leadership based on size and sometimes based on personality.
The five main reasons pastors give for leaving a church are:
- “The church has grown as much it will under my leadership.”
- “I am just not a good fit for this church.”
- “I’m spending most of my time putting out fires.”
- “The church has grown too large for my leadership skills.”
- “The church needs to relocate, and I’m not the person to lead them.”
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I guess I want to ask if those pastors were supposed to be just spiritual leaders or CEOs as well. There is a big difference and some pastors just aren’t made to be the CEO.
One of the remarks we’ve heard from the many pastors we have followed as intentional interim ministers is “I just didn’t know what to do next.”
These pastors have lost their vision for themselves and their churches.
Sad but not uncommon.
Did any of them ever ask anyone in the power structure and/or an undesirables for help? I have found that since I was an undesirable and not in the inner circle my advice was neither solicited not appreciated.
While I am sure many pastors leaving a church are being truthful when giving one of these five reasons for leaving, I believe often these reasons are code for “I am burnt out, depressed, and exhausted.” I have left the pastorate after 30 years, 20 years at my last church, and while I honestly say number one is the reason, I also confess I was burnt out and exhausted. I simply could not do it anymore. After much intense prayer and with my wife’s encouragement, God led me out of the pastorate and I am working full-time in a secular job. After a month of rest from preaching and ministry, my phone is starting to ring with requests to supply preach. We are surrounded by churches without pastors and those congregations need encouragement and healing. God has given me a burden to encourage and help these churches and also I hope to encourage pastors who are wounded and weary as I was.
Paul the Apostle was at times a tent maker, but he was still certain of his calling to preach the gospel. I am not a pastor anymore, but my call to preach is still sure. I am excited at what God is doing. My prayer for pastors reading this who are burnt out and hurting is that the Lord give you grace and strength to remain where you are and be fruitful with new vision, or that He open the right doors to move on. If God called you He will sustain you.
I love your heart and your story, Dan. God’s blessings to you in this new and exciting phase of ministry.
Dr. Rainer,
I would think the top reasons would include…
-Tired of hearing from the same critics or dealing with the same problems
-The church does not want to grow
-The Lord opened the door for a better opportunity (e.g., a church which is reaching more people, claims it wants to reach more or is in a location where it is possible to reach more people)
Thom S. Rainer I’ve read your powerful book “Who’s Holding Your Ladder?” Pastors leave when there’s no support from the second chair leaders (Assistant Pastor, Deacons, and others).
A question that comes to mind as I read this post might reveal some of the motivation. As a second chair leader, I am amazed at the lack of humility and unwillingness for some to take responsibility for being a true undershepherd/ pastor/ leader. As Timothy Laniak reminds readers, a shepherd is there to protect, provide, and guide. I have been in a place of holding a ladder when I was neither protected or extended provision. It is as if the person on the top of the ladder keeps dropping the hammer to those below without care or concern. Does a person move or accept the repetitive abdication of proper leadership?
Not all pastors are inept at balancing on the ladder, but I wish some would move closer to those holding the ladder so they might develop clarity in the role to which God leads and foster the relational equity to earn follow-ship.