Don't Make Your Pastor A Statistic

Today, Thabiti Anyabwile shares some alarming statistics and urges us to make our pastors’ lives bearable. I encourage you to write a nice email to your pastors today. As I have a blog, I want to go a step beyond that and publicly honor the four elders I have the joy to serve under as part of the leadership team of Jubilee Church London: Tope Koleoso, David Pask, Stuart Emsley and Chris Ebechidi.

I am confident that these men will not form part of these statistics because of the love Jubilee Church shows our leaders, but also because I know they are the right side of one critical statistic that Thabiti ends with but I will begin with. According to one survey, only 23% of pastors report being happy and content in their identity in Christ, in their church, and in their home. I know that these four men, who are all my pastors and my friends, are in fact secure in their identity because of their relationship with Christ. That very security oozes out of them. Love for Christ and his church consumes them. Their wives are genuinely happy to be part of Jubilee and don’t resent their work for us. Their self-sacrifice is evident to all. Their joy in their work is inspiring. Their wisdom and grace is evident to all. Most of all, the good hand of our God upon them is clearly seen. That anointing is the thing that makes this most challenging of jobs successful. I praise God for the oil of his blessing that lubricates the wheels of our church life.

To the pastors reading these following statistics, I urge you to get deeper into Christ, and feel his love for you and acceptance of you. Seeking acceptance from others is guaranteed to leave you on the pile of statistics I am about to list (which are not even all of the ones Thabiti shares!) Try not to focus on what your church is not providing you with, even if there are real grievances. Take your needs to the God who loves you and will provide for you. But when you have genuinely gone to God in prayer, do find a trusted friend at your church or outside your church that you can share honestly with. If, for example, your family are impoverished and hate your church, because it consumes all your time, something has to change! There is no shame in laying down the ministry if that is all that will save your family.

To the church members reading this, especially trustees and other officials, ask yourself honestly, do you know how your pastor is doing? Are you looking after them financially? Are you ensuring they are free to lead? Do they get enough time off? Do they have friends outside the church they can turn to for help, support and oversight? Are they stuck at the top of a pyramid with a church too mean to even pay for them to go to an external conference per year? If so, don’t be surprised if you are without a pastor soon. When was the last time you thanked your pastor for his self-sacrifice?

Some concerning stats about pastors:

90% of the pastors report working between 55 to 75 hours per week.
50% feel unable to meet the demands of the job.
70% of pastors feel grossly underpaid.
90% feel they are inadequately trained to cope with the ministry demands.
70% of pastors constantly fight depression.
50% of pastors feel so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
80% believe pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families.
#1 reason pastors leave the ministry — Church people are not willing to go the same direction and goal of the pastor. Pastors believe God wants them to go in one direction but the people are not willing to follow or change.
50% of the ministers starting out will not last 5 years.
1 out of every 10 ministers will actually retire as a minister in some form.

Don't Make Your Pastor a Statistic