Why do so many pastors report being over-burdened and over-stressed?
Why do so many pastors report tension between family life and ministry
life? Why does pastoral ministry often seem like more of a trial than a
joy? Why is there often disharmony between the private life of the
pastor and his public ministry persona? Why are there often
dysfunctional relationships between the pastor and his ministry leaders
or staff? Why is the ministry life of many pastors shockingly short?
Perhaps we have forgotten that pastoral ministry is war and that you
will never live successfully in the pastorate if you live with a
peacetime mentality. Permit me to explain. The fundamental battle of
pastoral ministry is not the battle with the shifting values of the
surrounding culture. It is not the struggle with resistant people who
don’t seem to esteem the gospel. It is not the fight for the success of
the ministries of the church. And it is not the constant struggle of
resources and personnel to accomplish the mission. No, the war of the
pastorate is a deeply personal war. It is fought on the ground of the
pastor’s heart. It is a war of values, allegiances, and motivations. It
is about subtle desires and foundational dreams. This war is the
greatest threat to every pastor. Yet it is a war that we often naively
ignore or quickly forget in the busyness of local church ministry. Keep Reading...
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