Out here in Quebec, Canada where I live, this impermanence is very present in churches less than 30 years old. I would say this kind of situation did not become the norm for our churches, but was always the norm. I am 28 years old too and am being trained for ministry in my home church. I have always been at the same church since I was 1 year old (~27 years). Of course it’s only since I was 15 years old that I decided to come to church on my own will. But my point is this, I have seen 4 pastors come and go to my church. Every time a pastor decided to leave, it was his own decision to leave and the church could not try to convince him otherwise. It is as if the pastor was just doing a career move to put himself in a better position. This is sad.

But I would like to finish on a positive note. I just a a pastor in our family of churches who had been in the same church for 20 years. This year, he got an “offer” (again almost as if pastorate is just another job opportunity) from another church who was in need. He immediately brought it forward to an elders meeting. They were mad at first to see that another church had just offered something like this to their pastor without approaching the church leaders as a whole. But after a while they asked forgiveness and they considered the offer together. The pastor did have a desire to go pastor the other church, but on only one condition: he would go only if his own church would accept to send him to the church that had made the offer. This was to be decided by a vote of all the church members. If the vote did not pass, he accepted to stay at his church. If the vote passed, he would accept to leave his church and be sent to the other one. His church voted to let him leave to go help the other church and this was done in complete harmony and love. When I heard this, I praised God to see this pastor’s love for his church and the church’s love for him.

This is a rare thing here in Quebec and I pray that God would use this example as a model for the rest of the churches in our church family.

Keep on the good blogging!!

Amen! Thanks for sharing. Along those lines, I was told that it takes approximately seven years being a pastor before you actually become one, and are given the trust and respect of the people. May God give you great joy as your give yourself away to His people!

Scott,

I concur with the church planting part. I also think you could do a “re-church plant” with a dead or dying church, reforming it from within. It may take a longer time, but that’s what pastoral permanence is all about. I think that having a thick skin and tender heart and a spirit of longsuffering are definitely qualities that contribute to an enduring ministry–traits I see in many of the honorable “misfits” today.

Letitia,

In the short time I have been in ministry, I can relate to much of what you said in your comments. Unfortunately, the chairman of deacons or key Sunday School teacher have more authority and respect than the revolving-door pastor, and part of me asks, “Why blame them?” While both are unbiblical and wrong, I can understand the wall that is built up, and the reservations that a congregation may have as a result of having been a victim of a career-driven or spineless minister. However, on the other hand, congregations can also not grow out of that mentality and continue to inflict harm to themselves and prohibit their pastor from having the platform and opportunity to turn things around. When the congregation finds in a man not a professional or charlatan but a true, selfless, and sacrificial servant of Christ, I believe there is the promise of a new beginning–a promise that is perpetuated by humble proclamation, authentic and transparent exemplary living, and a marriage of conviction and compassion in making change. When I grow up, I pray God helps me love His people in a way that communicates to them that I come with a towel and basin, not a resume or certificate.

The question you need to decide is whether you want to go with the point-and-shoot route or get a D-SLR. If you choose to go D-SLR, the entry level Nikon is the D40 which lists for around $520 (which comes with the lens kit). While I prefer getting the camera body and lens separately, this would work to get your feet wet. The thing is, the price of D-SLR’s are really close to the price of regular point-and-shoot digital cameras, but your options are worlds apart. I would go D-SLR if I were you.

Follow this link to check out the D40 at B&H Photo Video:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/471716-REG/Nikon_25420_D40_SLR_Digital_Camera.html

Matthew,

Thanks for sharing your experience, and in particular, your struggle with contentment and the temptation to leave. May the Lord continue to direct your paths and guard your heart as you seek to serve Him and the Church which He purchased with His own blood.

Wayne,

Thank you, brother, for those generous words. Like Paul, I pray God continually reminds me that “by the grace of God I am what I am.” BTW, I too would be interested in reading about the events of Joel Gregory and FBC Dallas. One of the tragic things I have noticed lately is the difficulty of a succeeding pastor who follows a man who had been there as a permanent fixture. Many do not make it past a couple of years, if that.

I am all too familiar with the politics and conflict involved when churches experience “turnover” in their pastorates. I began to suspect that there was something not quite right about the way pastors came to their positions a few years back when listening to a former pastor (now deceased) admit that although he had been the pastor of his church for a whopping 13 years, the congregation still didn’t trust him and respect his authority.

Here’s the typical cycle: a church needs a pastor; in the meantime, they get an interim - a committee is set up to review resumes and find prospective hires from all over the country - after narrowing it down to one, a few are called to check out the church - after the church deliberates about this person, a vote is cast - approval (he’s from God!); he’s hired - after a few months to a few years, conflict erupts, and the pastor quits or is fired - the church needs a pastor, and the cycle begins again.

As a potential future pastor, you need to know that most existing congregations have likely been burned and wounded, experienced division, are rife with politics, and have influential members or deacons that are more in charge than any pastor ever was (or will be). The time elapsed between pastors may rival the time where there is a pastor, which is often where their loyalty and leadership have become foundational to the congregation; interim pastors are forgettable. In a church model where the congregation is set up as the final arbiter of everything that goes on, TRUST and RESPECT for the pastor are two things that matter most but are rarely given.

Churches should rethink congregational rule. Indeed, the Bible demonstrates quite a different model. Granted, congregational rule worked well 100 years ago here in the US, but yet, that was 100 years ago, and churches HAVE changed a lot since then (much less missional than they used to be). Pastors need to lead, but churches do not follow and routinely use congregational rule to limit pastoral leadership only to what THEY feel comfortable with (in other words, don’t mess with us). Pastors should mess with people–that is the divine gift that God requires men to exercise.

So, Timmy Brister, what are you going to do when you grow up? Consider what you really want to do in ministry and be open to the idea that, tragically, a church may not allow you to do those things.

I apologize for being so bleak. There is a happier alternative, but I’m not sure people are so accepting of this. The trust issue is just too big of a hurdle.

*Letitia*