Podcast Episode #484
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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:
- “Ladder climbing” is not a priority.
- The philosophy of “big is better” is waning.
- Greater concern for family stability.
- Greater awareness of incremental progress.
- A desire to be a presence in the community.
- A desire to get to year five.
- The growth of mentoring.
Resources mentioned in today’s podcast
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Feedback
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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.
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.