Had a great conversation with fellow blogger and church planter Bill Streger on my way home from two days at our denom's headquarters. Bill points out a must-read post about the tragedies of pastoring from Mark Driscoll's site. A sampling of the stats from Barna Research and Focus on the Family:
1500 pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches. 50% of pastors' marriages will end in divorce. 80% of pastors and 84% of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors. 50% of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living. 80% of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years. 70% of pastors constantly fight depression. Almost 40% polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry. 70% said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons.
Ministry is full-on spiritual warfare.
one suggestion as a remedy is to "fill your plate" and another is "leave margin". what gives?
Posted by: Zach | May 26, 2006 at 12:12 PM
This is always such a struggle in full-time ministry. Finding the balance, as Zach stated, is always a challenge.
Posted by: Bill Hutchison | June 05, 2006 at 03:46 AM
people are people and a job is a job. life is what it is no matter where you go on sunday mornings.
Posted by: Phil Mitchell | January 21, 2010 at 11:15 AM