ThomRainer.com

Thom Rainer is the Founder and CEO of Church Answers

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Books
  • Podcasts
    • Rainer on Leadership
    • Revitalize & Replant
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • RSS

November 13, 2018 2 Comments

Seven Reasons the 10+ Year Pastorate Is Becoming More Common – Rainer on Leadership #484

Podcast Episode #484

SUBSCRIBE:
iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio • Spotify

Data shows pastoral tenure is increasing. Today we examine why more pastorates are reaching double digit tenure.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

  • Bigger isn’t always better. It’s usually the same problems just with more people.
  • There seems to be less of a desire for ladder climbing from Millennial pastors than from previous generations of pastors.
  • God works in both the big burst of rapid growth as well as in the slow, incremental growth.
  • The greatest fruit in ministry often does not begin to manifest itself until after year five of a pastorate.

The seven reasons we discuss are:

  1. “Ladder climbing” is not a priority.
  2. The philosophy of “big is better” is waning.
  3. Greater concern for family stability.
  4. Greater awareness of incremental progress.
  5. A desire to be a presence in the community.
  6. A desire to get to year five.
  7. The growth of mentoring.

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast

  • Revitalize Bundle
  • Church Answers
  • Scrappy Church

Episode Sponsors

Vanderbloemen Search Group is the premier pastor search firm dedicated to helping churches and ministries build great teams. They’ve helped thousands of churches just like yours find their church staff and are uniquely geared to help you discern who God is calling to lead your church.

For more information, visit WeStaffTheChurch.com.


The ministry landscape is changing, and the need for biblical training is more necessary than ever. It’s time to get your Master of Divinity degree. The M.Div —Midwestern Seminary’s flagship degree program — is the primary track for ministry preparation. At just 81 hours, the Midwestern M.Div offers a complete foundation for full-time ministry leaders, offering everything you need, and nothing you don’t. Join other students in vibrant Kansas City as you train in a unique collaborative environment focused on the local church or study online in your current ministry context. Midwestern Seminary is developing a discipleship culture devoted to the local church and committed to God’s unchanging Word. Why not start your training today?

Find out more at mbts.edu/mdiv.


Feedback

If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free copy of Scrappy Church.

Related

Comments

  1. Chris Clark says

    November 13, 2018 at 10:53 am

    If I may push back for a moment on one thing that was said…the part about the climbing the ladder being something to lay at the feet of the Boomer pastors. Being a Boomer pastor, I will readily admit that not only did I see this ladder climbing, I also aspired to some degree to do that as well. But as one who really didn’t have any mentors in my younger years, my only influences were those in my education (I had a seminary professor usually say—rightfully so, in 1985—”when you get to your first pastorate in the First Baptist Church in The Town That Nobody Ever Heard Of”) and in the myriad of conferences, books, and training that was coming out of the Baptist Sunday School Board. The seminaries and the teaching and training material were designed for growing attendance, for the most part. The speakers in chapel were the pastors of the megachurches. The speakers at the conferences were the pastors of the megachurches. So we Boomer pastors were trained by our predecessors, who undoubtedly were trained by their predecessors. It wasn’t until this last decade that I realized that I needed to un-learn so much of what I spent so many years learning in order to lead a church in the 21st century. So yes, the ladder climbing is waning for the Boomer pastors; I am in my 21st year at my current church. But I do not believe that the phenomenon of ladder climbing started with the Boomer pastors. We took it and expanded it.

    Reply
  2. Russ Veldman says

    November 14, 2018 at 2:30 pm

    Ii would add to the list that there are fewer full-time “rungs” on many denominational ladders. That is, there are fewer churches available as the next step up for pastors. In my own denomination, there are many congregations of about 50 in worship, then only a few about 100, then the jump is to 300 and up. So sometimes a pastor stays at a church a long time because there is are few churches incrementally larger. Few churches of 400+ are going to want a pastor who has only served churches of 50. The jump is too big.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Interested in becoming a sponsor at ThomRainer.com? Click Here.


Listen to the Latest Episode of Rainer on Leadership

Categories

Archives

@ThomRainer

My Tweets

Copyright © 2021 · Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in