Pastors: Users, Abusers, or Stewards?
A Journey Survey of Staff Pastors – Part I
Pastor, a pastoral coaching question for you:
“When it comes to your pastoral staff: are you a user, abuser, or steward?”
Do you use them – you make good use of them as God’s called ones in leading your church ministries, seeing them as people and ministers?
Do you abuse them – using them like objects to accomplish your goals, unconcerned for them as people or God’s called ones, ready to cast aside when they no longer serve your needs?
Or do you steward them – you would never abuse them; you make good use of them in your church’s ministry, seeing them as people and ministers, but even more, you invest in them for this ministry moment and a lifetime of healthy and effective ministry wherever they serve in the future?
JOURNEY SURVEY OF STAFF PASTORS
Journey reached out to staff pastors to ask about their experiences working with lead pastors. Their responses merit our consideration, and our action, especially if we are pastors who currently lead a pastoral staff. Our respondents included Journey and non-Journey members; all respondents presently serve or have recently served as staff pastors.
Consider the tremendous responsibility lead pastors have before God regarding their treatment of His called ones, pastors He has placed under their leadership. He will most certainly one day hold them accountable for this sacred trust.
Consider the unlimited opportunity lead pastors have to positively affect the kingdom of God and the world as they invest in staff pastors for a lifetime of healthy and effective ministry, beginning here and now and continuing into the future wherever they serve.
In the first of our two-part series, we examine the first two of these three questions: how lead pastors use and abuse staff pastors.
In two weeks, we will follow up strong with the very encouraging results of our third question: how lead pastors steward their pastoral staff – I enjoyed reading these responses, and I know you will, too.
THE SURVEY QUESTIONS:
The three questions we asked staff pastors:
1. How have lead pastors used you – made good use of you in leading your church ministries, seeing you as people and ministers.
2. How have lead pastors abused you – using you like objects to accomplish their goals, unconcerned for you as people or ministers called by God?
3. How have lead pastors stewarded you – made good use of you in your church’s ministry, seen you as people and ministers, and invested in you for this ministry moment and a lifetime of healthy and effective ministry wherever you serve in the future?
THE SURVEY SAYS:
USE
The Question: How have lead pastors used you – made good use of you in leading your church ministries, seeing you as people and ministers?
Note: There were many similar or duplicate responses. We have removed or combined these for the sake of space.
The Responses:
“My Lead Pastor:
“Gives me a clear, doable job description.”
“Walks relationally with me… but then leverages that relationship when there is conflict or in order to get more work.”
“Doesn’t get in my way, but doesn’t engage with me on my ministry or seem to care about it.”
“Works with me but doesn’t walk with me. We have no real relationship; we just get the work done. We don’t pray together; we just work together. Or I just work for him, I’m not sure.”
“Trusts me with my ministry, but doesn’t resource me for it.”
“Thinks I can walk in ministry on my own. I appreciate his respect, but he doesn’t encourage me to walk with a mentor (a more experienced minister) or ministry peers. Sees it as unnecessary.”
“Says the right things about ministry and my ministry area, even commits to help, but doesn’t follow through on his commitments, leaving me to figure out other options at the last minute.”
“Is open to listen to ideas… but only when he presents the need for ideas.”
“Requires me and my family to attend and/or serve at all church functions if the event pertains to my department or not. It’s not abuse, but it’s hard on our family to be so busy all the time.”
“He seems to respect me and my calling. That’s about it.”
“Has unspoken expectations of me and gives unclear communication. This doesn’t abuse me, but it doesn’t help me carry out my ministry as he wants it done either.”
“He doesn’t tell me but asks me if I want to take on an event or ministry outside of my position. I’m thankful for that.”
“We meet often and discuss the ministry and the future of our church. He makes me feel a part of what we are doing as church leaders.”
“Invests in me as a pastor but not as a person.”
“Focuses only on the work to be done, not growing as ministers too so we can do the work better. We get the work done, but I’m not growing. He doesn’t invest in or contribute to my growth and development (education, coaching/mentoring, etc).”
“Prevents helpful conversations about important ministry topics by taking ideas and suggestions as personal corrections rather than possible ministry improvements when that’s all we’re trying to do.”
“Communicates clearly and consistently to all staff members.”
ABUSE
The Question: How have lead pastors abused you – using you like objects to accomplish their goals, unconcerned for you as people or ministers called by God?
Note: Again, there were many similar or duplicate responses. We have removed or combined these for the sake of space.
My Lead Pastor:
“Pays me a part-time salary for full-time ministry responsibilities when the church is financially solid and able to do more.”
“Requires my spouse to lead ministries as a part of my job description and salary.”
“Micromanages rather than empowers me; I’m always looking over my shoulder, second-guessing my decisions.”
“Enforces and expects unverbalized expectations of me.”
“Requires seven-day work weeks – no Sabbath. A day off may be in my job description, but is in ink only; he calls me a lot on my day off or requires me to work on my day off.”
“Handles staff conflict in an immature way – silent treatment, tantrums, yelling.”
“Is overly controlling of staff pastors’ personal lives, freely voicing strong opinions on our family relationships and personal decisions.”
“Gaslights the pastoral staff.”
“Refuses to give me a raise or even a COL adjustment. He has even stood against the board when it wanted to give me a raise. I’ve worked here for years without a raise or COL adjustment. It’s very discouraging and hard on my family.” (EDITOR’S NOTE: I know of a situation where a staff pastor in a church of several hundred who went over a decade without a raise or COL adjustment).
“Treats and/or tells staff pastors as expendable and replaceable if we don’t serve his needs.”
“Manipulates staff members by withholding something (promotion, raises, ministry plans, etc). It’s then presented to other leaders as a collaborative decision and all are in agreement when that’s not true.”
“Has a new to-do list for me almost every day. I’m not a staff pastor; I’m a gopher running to keep up with the new ideas he gets.”
“Criticizes or demeans one staff member to other staff members rather than speaking directly to that staff member.”
“Financially compensates staff members based on gender though the expectations and workload are the same for each.”
“Punishes, ignores, or goes passive aggressive with me if I am not a “yes” man.
“Requires me to work outside my job description simply because I am here. He loads me with tasks outside my normal and already very full work load and requires me to get it all done.”
“Doesn’t want me to work on my sermons or teaching in the office. I’m supposed to do this at home outside of office hours.”
“Tells me my ministry on Sunday and midweek is not a part of my work and time requirements even though I am required to be there and serve. This is in addition to my 40 hours in the office.”
“Expects me to take care of his personal tasks; uses me as a personal assistant.”
“Won’t meet with me to discuss my areas of responsibilities; I can’t get a one-on-one meeting.”
“Criticizes or demeans me publicly – pulpit, staff meetings, conversations with others.”
FINAL THOUGHT:
The dropout rate among all pastors, especially young pastors, is disturbingly high. Many are not surviving. Large numbers of young ministers are not surviving the first decade or even the first five years in pastoral service.
Yes, there is a filtering process among young ministers, a winnowing out of those who are not really called to pastoral ministry. They are unable to continue in a ministry that is undeniably arduous and challenging, and so, they give up.
But one wonders how many God-called and quality young adults would have survived the early years if they had served with healthy lead pastors, those proven healthy by their treatment of others, especially their pastoral staff. One wonders how many God-called and quality young staff pastors have been casualties of unhealthy pastors.
It’s a question I’ve asked myself many times over the past decade as I have taken hundreds of calls from hurting staff pastors. Even now, the names and faces flood my mind. How many more healthy and effective young ministers would be leading churches and ministries if their lead pastors had been not just non-abusers, but healthy pastors who used them in godly ways?
As long as the church continues to hemorrhage young ministers, it’s a question we need to ask with brutal honesty and then answer with strong measures. Finally, even if the church stops the pastoral bloodletting, the exodus of young adults from pastoral ministry, the blood of Jesus requires that pastors examine how we treat our pastoral teams: they serve with us, but they belong to Him.
In two weeks, we will present the second half of this survey of staff pastors, one in which staff pastors tell us the many ways their lead pastors have not just used them in the healthy ways described above but have stewarded them, helping them grow and build strong for a lifetime of healthy and effective ministry. The results are not only encouraging but will serve as an excellent resource for those privileged to serve as pastor of a local church and its pastoral staff.
Saddled with large student debt, just beginning to set up homes and start families, and serving in low paying first and second positions, Millennials are those who most desire but can least afford to pay for pastoral coaching.
We are able to do so thanks to the faithful and generous support of individuals and churches like yours who want to see young leaders not only enter the ministry, but remain in the ministry.
Now, more than ever, we need your help.
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