Winter 1995

ARTICLE TOOLS

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When LEADERSHIP asked that question, here's what you said.

We've heard the bad news: Ministry is becoming harder than ever. Scores of pastors are discouraged or disillusioned. Hundreds have abandoned their call to take up secular employment.

But, according to a recent LEADERSHIP survey of 758 pastors, most American pastors thoroughly enjoy what they do and wouldn't trade places with anyone--no matter what the pay might be. (Yes: 20.1%; No: 54.6%; Maybe: 19.9%; No response: 5.3%)

What might tempt pastors to take up secular pursuits? Decidedly not money. Seven out of 10 pastors said that the possibility of more money would probably or definitely not cause them to leave ministry. (Yes: 9.9%; No: 70.7%; Maybe: 15.2%; No response: 4.2%)

Some might wonder, Are pastors rooted to their profession because they feel ill-equipped to do anything else? Not really. Fewer than one in three ministers (30.6 percent) admit to having felt trapped in the job. And as LEADERSHIP adviser Warren Wiersbe put it, "Even Moses felt that way sometimes." Interestingly, some who in the past have felt trapped in ministry would not leave now if they were given the opportunity.

Pastors' commitment to their ministries is even more striking when you consider that between 1965 and 1987, the number of Americans changing occupations nearly doubled. According to career expert Richard Nelson Bolles, 33 percent of American workers in 1991 contemplated changing their jobs the previous year.

Age influenced responses. Early baby boomer pastors (those 40 to 49 years old) were more likely to say they have felt trapped. We asked LEADERSHIP adviser Lyle Schaller to speculate why.

"Pastors 50 and up feel good about ministry because those who didn't have been sifted ...

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