The Burden of Pastoral Ministry
by Phil Gons on July 4th, 2007
Mark Driscoll (Wikipedia) shares some stunning statistics about pastors. I’m generally skeptical of statistics, but even allowing for a sizable margin of error, these statistics are stunning. Pastor Darrin Patrick from The Journey in Saint Louis compiled these statistics from Barna, Maranatha Life, and Focus on the Family and shared them in a message on the burden of pastoral ministry.
Pastors
- Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
- Fifty percent of pastors’ marriages will end in divorce.
- Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
- Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
- Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
- Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression.
- Almost forty percent polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry.
- Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons.
Pastors’ Wives
- Eighty percent of pastors’ spouses feel their spouse is overworked.
- Eighty percent of pastors’ spouses wish their spouse would choose another profession.
- The majority of pastors’ wives surveyed said that the most destructive event that has occurred in their marriage and family was the day they entered the ministry.
Read the whole post.
See also Driscoll’s series entitled Death by Ministry.
- Death by Ministry (Part 1) | Video
- Death by Ministry (Part 2) | Video
- Death by Ministry (Part 3) | Video
- Death by Ministry (Part 4) | Video
- Death by Ministry (Part 5) | Video
HT: Justin Buzzard
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Randy
Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons.
Don’t you think that is the main statistic. The fact that they only study the Word of God for their “job”. Maybe if they actually used it as a tool to grow a lot of the other stuff would be a little bit better too.
Jul 4th, 2007 10:05 am
Phil Gons
I think you’re right on target, Randy. If a pastor is not feeding on the Word and nourishing his own soul, not only will his preaching be weak, but he’ll also be powerless to battle with the discouragement and other struggles that he faces.
I wonder how accountability or lack thereof factors into the picture. I’d guess that most of these pastors don’t have godly peers to help them stay in the Word and battle lust and discouragement. That’s why I think something like this is critical for men in ministry: Pastoral Accountability.
Jul 4th, 2007 10:15 am
Ben
Phil,
Is that a picture of who I think it is?
Jul 5th, 2007 7:48 am
Mx5 (a pastor's wife)
It’s pretty easy to fire at a pastor if one has never been in full time pastoral ministry. Speaking for my husband, he has grown dramatically spiritually simply by studying for his sermons, and he was no spiritual midget before pastoring a church. It’s easy to say, “Well, if a person does A then B will follow.” If only those pastors also put in personal bible study time in their free time. Problem is, many pastors don’t have any free time. They put in 70 hours a week serving the flock in ways seen and unseen, and it’s not just a matter of being more organized or self-controlled. Dealing with peoples’ lives daily is extremely draining in a way that is hard to explain.
Remember how easy being married seemed to be when we were single? Or how easy it seemed to us to be parents and raise those kids the RIGHT way before we had children? The same is true for any job or calling or situation. I have been amazed at the number of people who have thought they know how to be a pastor, and have no trouble at all telling my hubby where he’s wrong. They wouldn’t do that to, say, an airline pilot (”Step aside, pilot, and I’ll show you how to fly.”) or an auto mechanic, a doctor, or a lawyer. Perhaps pastors are right there with pro football coaches? We all know the calls they need to make **big grin**.
All this to gently admonish folks to please be careful with assumptions. Few know the burdens a pastor or teaching elder face, and must face alone. Pray for them. Offer to watch their kids so they can get away with their wives. Let them know when they do or say something that has made a difference in your life.
Jul 17th, 2007 3:10 pm