From the Editor
October 1, 1994
Is the pastorate getting harder? How would you answer that question? From your perspective, is being a church leader more difficult, more demanding, than it was ten, twenty, or thirty years ago? I've been asking pastors, denominational leaders, and church consultants that question, and the answers often erupt like a geyser. "Yes! You wouldn't believe what it's like now. … " Add to the anecdotal evidence of board wars, dysfunctional people, and budget strains some sobering statistics. The Southern Baptist Convention monitored the number of pastors who were fired during an 18-month period in 1988 and 1989. A full 2,100 ministers were dismissed, a dramatic 31 percent jump from five years earlier. A similar increase has occurred in the Christian Reformed Church and other denominations that log such numbers. A spate of books have sounded an alarm, including Pastors at Risk by H.B. London, Jr. and Neil B. Wiseman, and Today's Pastors by George Barna. The dour state of affairs has generated articles in numerous periodicals, including The Christian Century, Ministry Today (a Leadership-like journal from Britain), and The Banner, which notes, "Church members today have less to offer at church, yet greater emotional and spiritual needs than ever before." Is there any good news? I have prayerfully thought about this and scanned the church horizon, and I say yes. I see several encouraging signs, and I'll name two. Surprisingly, the pressures of ministry today have helped bring them about. First, when the water's rough, you need all hands on deck, and many churches increasingly use a team approach, even in areas long considered the pastor's sole responsibility. I know several congregations in which preaching duties are shared, so the ...
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