About one-third of you readers are laypersons. This article is for you. Of course, I know pastors and other vocational ministry leaders will be reading as well. Perhaps, more than my article, they will be reading your comments. They will be searching eagerly to see if anyone has a word of encouragement. They may be anticipating the responses will be a barrage of negativity they have become accustomed to receiving.
Please hear me clearly. The vast majority of pastors with whom our team communicates are saying they are considering quitting their churches. It’s a trend I have not seen in my lifetime. Some are just weeks away from making an announcement. They are looking for work in the secular world. Some will move to bivocational ministry. Some will move to marketplace ministry.
But many will move.
Why has this period of great discouragement ensued? Of course, it is connected to COVID-19, but the pandemic really just exacerbated trends already in place. We would have likely gotten to this point in the next three to five years regardless.
I also want you to know that these pastors do not think they will be leaving ministry. They just believe the current state of negativity and apathy in many local churches is not the most effective way they can be doing ministry.
So, they are leaving or getting ready to leave. There are many reasons why, but allow me to share the top six reasons, understanding that they are not mutually exclusive.
- Pastors are weary from the pandemic, just like everyone else. Pastors are not super humans. They miss their routines. They miss seeing people as they used to do so. They would like the world to return to normal, but they realize the old normal will not return.
- Pastors are greatly discouraged about the fighting taking place among church members about the post-quarantine church. Gather in person or wait? Masks or no masks? Social distancing or not? Too many church members have adopted the mindset of culture and made these issues political fights. Pastors deal daily with complaints about the decisions the church makes.
- Pastors are discouraged about losing members and attendance. For sure, it’s not all about the numbers. But imagine your own mindset if one-half or more of your friends stopped engaging with you. And pastors have already heard directly or indirectly from around one-fourth of the members that they do not plan to return at all.
- Pastors don’t know if their churches will be able to support ministries financially in the future. In the early stages of the pandemic, giving was largely healthy. Church members stepped up. Government infusion of funds for businesses and consumers helped as well. Now, the financial future is cloudy. Can the church continue to support the ministries they need to do? Will the church need to eliminate positions? These issues weigh heavily on pastors.
- Criticisms against pastors have increased significantly. One pastor recently shared with me the number of criticisms he receives are five times greater than the pre-pandemic era. Church members are worried. Church members are weary. And the most convenient target for their angst is their pastor.
- The workload for pastors has increased greatly. Almost every pastor with whom we communicate expresses surprise at their level of work since the pandemic began. It really makes sense. They are trying to serve the congregation the way they have in the past, but now they have the added responsibilities that have come with the digital world. And as expected, pastoral care needs among members have increased during the pandemic as well.
Pastors are burned out, beaten up, and downtrodden.
Many are about to quit.
You may be surprised to discover your pastor is among them.
Posted on August 31, 2020
With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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428 Comments
Very insightful and accurate. I have been a pastor for over 30 years in the same church and I never could have expected that I’d experience this level of discouragement, depression, and exhaustion. I’ve never thought about quitting like I am now.
Add family needs and other responsibilities to all of the above and you have described my priest. I know she is discouraged and missing the in person contact. We are a small congregation and we need to pull together to support her. Her call was for part time Ministry but she puts in many extra hours.
We all need to pray for her.
Your percent may have increased as to the number of clergy wanting to get out of the local church but most of the reasons have not. I retired in 1992 after 40 years of ministry in the local church. I was a part of the liberal group as we went through the civil rights movement and the merging of the conferences. I witnessed many of my friends leave the parish ministry and go into government social programs and mental health programs during that time for many of the same reasons as you listed. At the age of 90, I hope I have been able to say that most of your 6 feelings have been around a long time, but maybe not expressed as open as today. Today the ability to transition from one “job” to another seems easier than in former years.
Some people that commented seem to have overlooked that Thom said these pastors believe they can minister to people more in other areas of ministry(secular). Ministry doesn’t happen only in the church. It actually happens more or should happen more out where the people are located.
I have been married to my pastor since 1993. I have watched my husband pastor the church in different locations throughout these years. A large majority of the church members he has pastored have been loving and kind, truly seeking to serve God with the gifts & opportunities God provides them. But the members who have caused troubles are the ones the pastor hears from the most.
It has been this way throughout our years in church ministry. Yes there is a lot of good that comes from being the pastor but it’s certainly stressful. That’s how it was before the Covid-19 pandemic. Now there is the added stress of the pandemic. So if pastors were already stressed, facing burnout, it most likely has only increased.
My husband faced burnout & took a leave of absence for a year prior to the pandemic. He had been back in pastoral ministry 8 months when the pandemic hit.
So I understand those of you who do not want to see your pastor leave(quit pastoring) but maybe God sees their needs and has other plans to meet their needs while keeping them in ministry. And MORE IMPORTANTLY while meeting their needs, drawing them closer to HIM & healing them.
I’m not sure who will read this but I feel as a lay person I should say what is in my heart…
Pastor, if you quit who will lead and guide us? How will my family make it to Heaven or even worse, this world? You have the most important job on this planet and God created you for this very purpose. I know how difficult we can be. I know how we expect you to live a perfect life even though we fail God constantly. We expect more out of you than anyone else that is in our life to include ourselves. We use you expecting you to hear from God and we don’t do our part by seeking God ourselves. We expect you to be at our weddings, funerals, birthday party’s and we don’t even factor in what you’re dealing with in life. We take advantage of your love and support for us not giving you the same in return. We are selfish humans in every way but please remember…without a vision we don’t make it. God doesn’t give His vision to the sheep because He knows that only a select few can run the race until the end. It’s you that God truly trusts to get this world ready for His return.
Things may be different but it doesn’t mean that it should be over for those that are to Pastor. This just means that God has a much bigger plan and a very different way that He’s going to do a mighty work. Stop putting God in a box and start asking God to show you how to see through His eyes.
Years ago when I taught young children God had me challenge them. He told me to get rocks and ask them what they were most fearful or concerned about then write it on those rocks. We then took them outside and threw them in the muddy water. We left the rocks in the waters and I told them to believe that God put those issues in the water to drown. The next week we went to look at those rocks and the waters dried, so did the rocks but the issues on those rocks were gone. What I’m trying to tell you is that its not the problem that God wants you to focus on…it’s the delivery of the message that God has given to each Pastor. When the leaders of the churches come together as one that’s when you will see a change. It all starts in a house…community…city…state…region…nation…world!!!
Thank you so much for giving us all of you. We will never know the true sacrifice but know that there are those that would die for you to be able to carry the message if we were to be put in that situation.
Well stated
Kimberly, I can’t speak for anyone but myself in saying how much I appreciate your thoughts. Yes it is a difficult position to be in these days. There are definitely thoughts of quitting or at least changing the view from the pulpit. But you are so correct in that we as pastors do have a tremendous calling that we must follow. I only wish I personally heard encouraging words such as your a little more often. Thank you!
Lol! My favorite… heard at least 6 times at a recent drive through party for a 100-year old member, while I was directing traffic…”Pastor, you must really be enjoying all of this time off.”
Yes, this article is right on. It’s amazing how the effects of the pandemic are even blamed on the pastor. Yes, I wish I could walk away. I am absolutely praying for a way out.
To any pastor or ministry staff member who is reading the my comment. I don’t have the words I wish I did to encourage each of you. But I will say that I am a Christian today directly because of a Godly witness from a person involved in full time ministry. My faith has grown through the years because of the flawed, yet truly amazing pastors whose teaching I have sat under. I am excitingly grateful for our ministry staff at our church! They really are the best! However I still don’t feel like I have the adequate words to encourage all the discouraged people in ministry today. But I can pray and ask God to encourage, strengthen and give you each hope! So pray is what I will do.
Many of the other pastors I know feel like we have been bait and switched. We thought we were going to be providers of spiritual nurture and discipleship but have ended up being the CEOs of a highly politicized 501c3.
The sheep need you as Shepherds!! Dont quit pastors! We need you in the body, otherwise we are missing such an important part of the body of Christ – of ourselves. Praying for you pastors. Endure til the end so you can receive the reward that Paul talked about, and with everything you do, do it unto the Lord! Let knowing that he sees and that you are storing up treasure in heaven that can’t be touched give tou strength and motivate you. Love you
and God Bless You Pastors!!
The sheep need you as Shepherds!! Dont quit pastors! We need you in the body, otherwise we are missing such an important part of the body of Christ – of ourselves. Praying for you pastors. Endure til the end so you can receive the reward that Paul talked about, and with everything you do, do it unto the Lord! Let knowing that he sees and that you are storing up treasure in heaven that can’t be touched give tou streng5h and motivate you. Love you N
and God Bless You Pastors!!
I am tired of all the sheep in the church… they need to be more warriors…
As a pastor of 20 years, I have to be honest and admit that I am disappointed in many pastors. If this is “our” response in the midst of COVID-19, what will be the response when times really get hard? In my opinion, pastors need to remember they have an audience of one, look to him for grace and strength and stop worrying about the opinions of man. I think I’m a testimony to the fact that it works.
AMEN, AMEN and AMEN!
When you feel discouraged and heavy burdened ask God for HIS strength and he will see you through this time of trouble. Pastors, keep in mind what the tribulation Pastors will have to deal with in their time of shepherding.. The thought of those called to minister in those times should put a new prespective in your heart and a new passion to lead that last soul to Christ Jesus. May God bless you and keep you all the days of your life. Thank you for all you do. It does not go unnoticed.
Yes. Very accurate read. I’m there. Struggling with understanding of my season here is done or not. I’m not one to run away. But I also don’t want to fight to be somewhere I’m not supposed to be. I wish there was more honest, authentic communication between laity, pastors/elders.
Thanks for posting this. At least I’m reminded that I’m not struggling alone. Use me as you will, Lord…continues to be my prayer.