Darryl's Blog
Pastoring isn't so tough
Yesterday I argued that pastoring might be harder than other forms of leadership. In a way I believe that, simply because the North American church is in such a mess overall and there are few transformational leaders. Scott pushed back, though, and argued that I'm wrong. "lately i have been re-examining the whole sacred/secular leadership issue and am wondering if in fact leading a church 'may be harder' than leading an organization."
Now, Scott isn't smart enough to tell the difference between a picture of me and Jordon, but in this case he just may be right. Eugene Peterson seems to agree with him:
It is no more difficult to pursue the pastoral vocation than any other. Vocations in homemaking, science, agriculture, education, and business when embraced with biblically informed commitments are likewise demanding and require an equivalent spirituality. What is essential for pastors is that we focus on our particular "pestilence that strikes at noonday"...The idolatry to which pastors are conspicuously liable is not personal but vocational, the idolatry of a religious career that we can take charge of and manage.
So there you have it. When Scott and Eugene Peterson speak with one voice that pretty much settles the issue. Maybe pastoring isn't harder, but it has its own set of temptations like any career. We probably need to lower the pulpit and raise the sense of vocation (a la Brother Lawrence) but maybe pastors will need to learn from non-pastors in order to do this.
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I wouldn't argue strenuously against what Peterson and Scott say about this but I was wondering if, on the "pastoring is harder" side the point could be made that since a whole church can be devastated by a pastor's moral or ethical failure the evil one may spend more attention to him than to the average Christian in the "pew" (seat, chair ...). The failure of a non pastor is tragic and hurts the church, but a similar failure in the pastor has a much more devastating effect on the church, is widely reported in other churches, sometimes gets reported in the media and quite often empties a church and negatively effects its outreach in ways that the failure of someone else does not do. The devil knows this. Is the promise/warning of I Timothy 4:16 for all Christians or just those in leadership?
it seems like pastors get a lot of time off for conferences and holidays.
while i agree that a pastor can devastate a congregation, i would argue that the ceo of a company can destroy the financial future of whole cross-sections of a community, arguably to larger or at least similar effect. i would further contend that pastors, and i am speaking from personal experience here, have exponentially less accountability for day to day operations then their secular counterparts.
i also am not sure that "business when embraced with biblically informed commitments are likewise demanding and require an equivalent spirituality." speaks to the whole issue. Secular employment, even when not done with a spiritual emphasis, can be crushingly difficult.
i wonder, as much as we like to bemoan how much better we could do in the real world, how many pastors could cut it with a job that fired people for being late, had monthly, if not weekly reviews, judged people solely based on output, and applied stringent working conditions.
"i would further contend that pastors, and i am speaking from personal experience here, have exponentially less accountability for day to day operations then their secular counterparts. "
What about on that final DAY, do you think the accountability will be more or less then their secular counterparts?
Why is it even necessary to compare? I'm not a pastor but it is such a high calling to lead the people of God and to lead others to God. What could be more daunting a task as that and what also could be any more rewarding? Is there anything in the world more rewarding then to know that you have been used in helping people to come to know God, to be brought out of darkness and into His marvellous light? I can't think of anything more rewarding then that can you?
Although I know the verses about "responsiblity" based on roles and calling, I have one comment which I repeat throughout the last few years. We are all called to be ministers of the gospel. When a hierarchical sense is set up for being "called to ministry", pride can enter.
I'm not sure that I think Satan tempts pastors more than laypeople. There are tons of "normal" church attenders who struggle with sins, from overeating to involvement in prostitution and murder. Those who are in leadership get more press when they are caught in it or confess to it. Their lives are more public than those who when discovered might create a small rumbling in the 20-30 people they are in regular contact with. That's different than a public inquiry/outcry.
I don't want to belittle the job or volunteer work of being a pastor. I appreciate the leadership of many pastors I have interacted with and heard speak. They have had an important place in my life as being one of the vessels God has used to teach me. But he has used other vessels as equally: friends, family, Bible reading, corporate worship in music.
Just to set the record straight: as a pastor I don't think I could do better in the business world at all. I would be a colossal flop in the business world, as would a lot of businessmen in the pastorate.
I don't think I could handle the pressures of dealing with large sums of money everyday, and I agree that being a Christian in a business environment is a hugely difficult task.
I just have difficulty imagining how anything compares to the pressure of knowing that my failure at work can actually contribute to someone forsaking the truth and endangering their souls for eternity. God has entrusted pastors with the souls of people. It is a real pressure that I need and at the same time that strikes fear in the heart. But it makes me pray more and lean harder so it is very good for me.
Perhaps the whole conversation about which calling has the most pressure is academic anyway. God has promised not to allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear and the evil one's business is to prove that to be a lie. The pressures are real and without God are unbearable, no matter what our calling.
"I just have difficulty imagining how anything compares to the pressure of knowing that my failure at work can actually contribute to someone forsaking the truth and endangering their souls for eternity. God has entrusted pastors with the souls of people. "
Amen Ken. Then to consider how many churches of our day are being pastored by people who have forsaken the truth themselves and are leading so many people astray. We are living in incredible times. What a time for people of the Truth to really stand for Truth.
George - I would have to disagree to a certain extent with your statement, "Why is it even necessary to compare? I'm not a pastor but it is such a high calling to lead the people of God and to lead others to God."
The pastor is supposed to train up the people so they are the ones leading others to God.
Ken's, "I just have difficulty imagining how anything compares to the pressure of knowing that my failure at work can actually contribute to someone forsaking the truth and endangering their souls for eternity. God has entrusted pastors with the souls of people." is also true to a certain extent, but again isn't it my failure at work to live in such a way to present Christ to those who don't know him which can cause some to forsake the truth? In many cases contacting many more people who don't know Christ daily than a pastor does in a week or a month when they immerse themselves in 'God's Work'.
Please don't get me wrong. I greatly respect many pastors and the work they do. Pastor's are under an enourmous amount of pressure and have to deal with the ugly side of a lot of people's lives that I never see. I don't envy that at all. But we as a church have decided to 'pay' a professional to do the work Christ entrusted to the whole church. We are as much at fault as the pastors.