I am reticent to write this article. I do not want to encourage pastors to leave churches too early. Frankly, many pastors have shared with me that, in the aftermath of their departures, they realized they had made a mistake. They left too soon.
Many times the departure takes place between years two to four of a pastor’s tenure. That is the typical period when the “honeymoon” is over and some level of conflict, even crises, have begun. Many pastors who made it to years five and beyond express thanksgiving that they did not depart in those more difficult early years.
I confess that I left a church too soon. My family’s income was below the poverty line, and I was too proud to express my financial needs to any trusted church leader. The church’s income had tripled in my three-year tenure, so I could have easily been paid more. And I have little doubt that some of the leaders in the church would have gladly helped. My stupid and sinful pride got in the way.
So I have asked over thirty pastors why they left their previous church. Obviously, my survey is both informal and small. Still, the responses were both fascinating and telling. Here are the top seven responses in order of frequency, and they are not always mutually exclusive.
- “I had a strong sense of call to another church.” This response was articulated in a number of different ways, but the essence was the same. Slightly over half of the respondents left because of the “pull” rather than the “push.”
- “I became weary and distracted with all the conflict and criticisms.” What leader has not been here? What pastor has not been here? It is often a death by a thousand cuts.
- “I no longer felt like I was a good match for the church.” One pastor shared candidly that he felt like the church outgrew him. He said he had the skill set to serve a church with an attendance of 150. But when it grew to 500 after eight years, he felt that his leadership skills were not adequate to take the church any further.
- “I left because of family needs.” One pastor moved closer to his aging parents who had no one to care for them. Another indicated his family was miserable in their former church location.
- “I was fired or forced out.” This story is far too common. Of course, some of the other factors in this list overlap with this one.
- “I was called to a different type of ministry.” Some left to take a position other than lead pastor in another church. Others went into parachurch or denominational ministry. I am among those who left the pastorate for denominational work.
- “I was not paid adequately.” I related my own story above. Let me be clear. The pastors with whom I spoke were not seeking extravagant pay, just adequate pay. And like me, most of them were uncomfortable broaching the issue with any leaders in the church.
What do you think of these seven factors? What would you add? What have been your experiences?
Posted on July 14, 2014
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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131 Comments
The hurt and the hell which brings about leaving is only felt by God. No one else can even warrant an opinion, Mercy and grace is needed from our brothers and sister’s in Christ. Perhaps the greatest need is not finding out why, but finding the healing.
I served my previous church for 12 years. We relocated our physical plant and one month after we paid off the mortgage / debt, God moved my family to another church. I felt complete and that I had finished the task for which He called me there. God has moved me to a ministry that was beyond my abilities and He has grown me in the past Four years. I do not buy into the marriage theme iterated above. I think God uses different churches to grow us and uses us to help churches to grow. Sometimes he grows both together for a lifetime.
Bro. Glenn,
I am not at all suggesting that God can’t, won’t, or doesn’t move His shepherds under His sovereign will. It seems however that the norm any more is the movement of pastors and not the stability of pastors. It is rare that we hear of a pastor staying at one church for twenty, twenty-five, thirty years or longer. By comparison (or in similarity) it is also rare that those in the secular world remain employed at a company through to retirement. Has this mindset of the world crept into the pastorate?
A different observation….I fear far too many men recognizing the call of God to the pastorate respond in kind, that is to say they enter the pastorate, but with a similar mind-set of the thousands who get married every year. “If it ever gets to the point where “the love is gone” I’ll just get a divorce. Point in case, your opening statement, “I do not want to encourage pastors to leave churches too early.” Leave churches too early? This is voiced on the assumption that pastors WILL leave the church they are currently pastoring. Is “until death do us part” a statement that is onion-paper thin, and should not this apply to our call of shepherding as much as it does to the God ordained partnership of marriage? From the words of one of our well known associates, “brothers, we are not professionals.” Ours is not a job! We don’t throw out resumes in hopes of “landing the big one” only to realize two to four years later “it just wasn’t a good fit!” And then start the search process all over again, then two to four years later do it again, and again, and again, until we reach retirement age then kick back in retirement. Am I too naive in my five years of ministry to think that the one church I pastor will be the ONLY church I’ll pastor? Lord, cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift my soul to You.
I have served the church I pastor for 15 years. But I am not married to it. I am married to my wife. I am not trying to leave or longing to leave. Trials come where ever one serves. But all people have different skills, talents, and gifts. It may be that God would move a pastor/minister to another church that could use what he is equipped with and the church being left needs someone else.
I am currently in my first pastorate and have been here 11+ years. I took the pastorate as a 22 year old single, two year degree, young man. Now I am a husband and father. In the past 11 years there have been many conflicts with leadership, members, and trouble with inadequate pay. I believe that there will always be some sort of conflict due to the fact that we are called to a battlefield. In my ministry I have seen many opportunities for outreach to our community get passed by and also ministry to our own congregation get scoffed at by members. However, about four years ago our church began a ministry to a housing project in our rural WNC town. We were able to see 17 churches come together and do a VBS and now we are working continually with the residents of this apartment complex. It has brought a sense a worth and responsibility to our congregation.
Now, after 11 years our numbers have not grown exponentially, yet the congregation has changed. I have the opportunity to work with a group of people wanting to make a difference at home and abroad. I believe the key to seeing this change has been perseverance. I had the opportunity to leave for more money several times, as well as being called to “bigger” churches. Yet the “calling” wasn’t there. My family still struggles financially and we still face hardships, but God has within the last two weeks saved 5 people and there are 7 to baptize. I still feel a strong sense of calling to this congregation. I believe at the end of the day God makes plan when it is time to go. At one point in my ministry my wife and I were discussing me leaving. She simply said “God loves this congregation and you. If He wants you to leave He will make it clear.” I thank God for His clarity.
I was surprised by Pastors referring to their low pay. Our small church (55 members) ties the Pastor’s salary to the current pay-scale of Principals in our province. Needless to say, our Pastors have always been well paid. And we are not wealthy congregants; strictly blue collar.
Not sure anyone else is following this anymore, but your wonderful solution to pastoral pay is not at all common in my experience. My wife and I planted the church I pastor in a very small village about 12 years ago starting with five families from the community who all were part of a church about 30 miles away. (we planted the church at the invitation of the pastor of their church) When I first mentioned a salary to our Board about 1 1/2 years later, and suggested that teachers salaries might be a place to start, the Board’s response was that teachers weren’t doing God’s work and shouldn’t be considered. So, now, at age 63, after 12 years here, with a annual church budget in excess of $140,000 (including designated offerings to missions etc), I am paid less than a first year teacher. In that 12 years we purchased property, built a 5000 sq ft building and then a 1500 sq ft addition with total current debt of about $100,000 and a savings account of over $60,000. We did that out of general fund giving without a capital stewardship campaign because the culture here would find such a campaign offensive. My low pay is a small part of my thinking regarding resignation. The larger part of my thinking on this topic is that the low pay, and lack of congregational concern about compensation, is an indication of a larger issue regarding respect for the position of the pastor and willingness to buy into God given vision, priorities and direction. As some others have said, we have acquaintances but no friends despite our reaching out to others. We’ve realized that if your kids didn’t go to school here, you’re not part of the community and never will be. I haven’t resigned already because I don’t want to leave prematurely or out of hurt and rejection but I keep thinking of Jesus telling the seventy “if you’re not received, shake the dust off your feet and go to the next town.”
In October 2012 our Senior Pastor of 27 years “retired” and became Pastor Emeritus. He was 70 years old at the time and in good health. This was the culmination of a well thought out, well planned, very orderly four year transition process that was well received by the congregation and the community. During the Pastor Emeritus’s tenure the church grew from around 200 to 1,100 in attendance. The new Senior Pastor is an MK and came from within the church. He was 29 at the time of his installation and had served only a one year pastoral internship prior to the beginning of the transition process. Since October 2012 attendance has increased by 400 and two new pastoral staff positions have been added. After an agreed on three month absence, the Pastor Emeritus and his wife are still active in the church. Soli Deo Gloria!
I’m at my first pastorate of 13+ years, and often thought of leaving, but continue to be impressed of God’s promised growth, reiterated through various people. However It isn’t yet happening. I fear leaving too soon for some of the regrets mentioned in other posts. But I fear some are in the church because of me, and leaving will give them an excuse to seek other churches rather than build on what has been established. I desire for God to be the glue that holds the church together, not the pastor.
What would be some warning signs that it is time for a pastor to move on?
I am in the process of leaving my first senior pastor position after only 2-1/2 years. God is calling me to another position in a another county. However, as He is leading, He is also proving and confirming to me week after week of the lack of Christ-likeness and the absolute absence of forgiveness and grace among the church members. The church consist of 100 people who all seem to be operating with their individual agendas. I have peace now because God has opened the new door.