By: Rev Barry P.Boucher, D.Min.
Great! In fact, you may be surprised to know that your pastor may have the highest job satisfaction of anyone in your congregation.
A recent study shows that ministers by far ranked the most satisfied of 198 occupations. Eighty-seven percent of clergy responded that they were “very satisfied” with their work, compared to an average of 47 percent for all workers. Could it be that a person who knows they are ‘called’ is better prepared for their life work than someone who just goes to work?
“A pastor does get called on to enter into some of the deepest moments of a person’s life, celebrating a birth and sitting with people at times of illness or death. There’s a lot of fulfillment in helping others in life.”
Yet the statistics have a dark side as well. Ministerial burnout is all too common. On top of ministry responsibilities, pastors and their families struggle with loneliness, fatigue, marriage problems and even depression. They minister to others for a living but who ministers to them and their families?
Here are the stats on how pastors really feel.
90% work more than forty-six hours per week, and often more than sixty.
80% believe that pastoral ministry is affecting their family negatively.
33% say, “Being in ministry is clearly a hazard to my family.”
75% report a significant crisis at least once every five years in their ministry.
50% feel unable to meet the needs of the job.
90% feel they were not adequately trained to cope with the demands placed upon them.
40% report having a serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month.
37% have been involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with someone in the church.
70% have a lower self-image after they’ve pastored than when they started.
IS THIS MISSION IMPOSSIBLE?
Are you challenged by the challenge of what is required of you? You are supposed to preach, pray and prophesy effectively whether you lead children, youth or adults; to move from your prayer closet with God to administrative meetings, yearly planning, supervising staff and volunteers, counselling the troubled, do life-changing intercession, trouble-shooting, budgeting, know audio systems, media production, meditation of messy situations, arrange for meaningful worship, bulletin preparation, solve staff problems, do effective mission projects, solve board issues, function as a community leader, study, counsel, conduct funerals, do weddings, baptisms, dedications, and preach with power, persuasion, and lead many to Christ in every service, not to mention, heal the sick, cast out devils and be Jesus to the people and the city you serve.
As a senior pastor you are supposed to be ‘in charge’ but not too in charge, be an administrative executive, a sensitive pastor, a skillful counselor, a dynamic public speaker, and a spiritual guide who is both relevant and spiritually mature.
You are not supposedto getdepressed, discouraged, cynical, angry or hurt by those whose expectations you do not meet. You are supposed to beup beat, positive, strong, willing and available to those who love you and those who no longer are supportive of you or your ministry to them.
How are you doing pastor? Who is caring for your soul?
Every pastor needs a pastor!