If geography is important to you, but the signs are there to leave a particular church, then one has to find a different line of work.  That’s what I did.

I was an organist/choirmaster at a church full-time, and the position went to part-time.  In addition, I saw much darkness on that job, and for some time had been looking forward to getting out.  I ended up going back into electrical engineering (I took a course to update my skills).

The end result is one of sadness in the sense that I am not making as much music as I once did.  Also, I have strong feelings about the church I left - I don’t even drive by it (I will detour, but that’s not hard to do).  In another sense, I am happier to be out of that stressful environment.  I find that churches can be the nastiest political places - and that’s why I’m glad to be out of full-time ministry.  I now have a very part-time music ministry position, and I’m just as happy to go home and forget about it since my life is filled with so many other wonderful things.  It’s a nice little church, and I’m glad I can help these people out.  As for my future in ministry, I pretty much see myself being less active - music is not seen as a priority, and I’m tired of dealing with mean people.

I have been dealing with mixed feelings about leaving my current position in our Church.  I am a part-time music director in addition to co-teaching classes and being on several committees.  It really bothers me when things do not get done, so people have “stood back” and let me do many more things than I am able given the time constraints.  I am receiving much criticism from adults who complain, but are unwilling to step in and work, but I wonder who will work with the children and youth if I leave.  Deep decisions.

I have been at my current church for three and half years as the part-time Children Pastor, and I am struggling right with the church leadership.  I feel that I am bound to doing only what is preapproved by the leadership, rather than doing what I feel God has placed upon my heart to do.  I have recently been asked to join a new church plant as the children/youth Pastor, I feel that this is where God is leading me to go.  Around a year ago I got a vision for this type of ministry, and when I tried to present the vision that I had received to the leadership, I was told that I could only do children ministry and nothing more.  Basically, I feel that God is calling me to not only do children ministry, but also youth and college, but the leadership, that I have had since I was twelve years old, but worked with for three years as on staff.  Should I go with what I feel that God is leading me to do, or what the leadership is saying that God is leading them to say to me, I have talked to my family and friends and they feel the same as I do, please help me with this.

Though are situations may be very different, what most of us have in common is the wounds taken. 

“In this world you will have trouble...” said Jesus.  We can’t run from it.  For me the issue at hand isn’t taking criticism, or insults, or even being judged now and then.  That is “normal”.  The issue I encourage you to look at is patterns of sadistic behavior (it may be very subtle).  It is our responsibility to confront it as lovingly as possible being clear about who we are (loved by God) and that sadistic behavior disguised in Christian leadership clothes will not be tolerated by us.  Christ freed us from the “law” and condemnation so that we can be with him for eternity, but also have life to the fullest.  It isn’t heaven, but we have been saved from condemnation…

I have ordered the book mentioned, and can’t wait to read it.  What God has shown me is to walk into the heat once (Christ was there), to see what can be learned about myself (what sin in me that I don’t see).  God uses all things, even evil in churches to make us holy.  That is the most important thing.  Don’t volunteer to be a martyr, there may be a time when you don’t have a choice, but don’t go looking for it. 

Your spouse is the next important thing.  Protect her (him).  The scriptures tell us to guard our hearts with ALL deligence.  I think we have responsibility to guard our spouses hearts.  Your “church” is replacable, your spouse isn’t. 

You are not alone, I too am in a lot of pain.  Take heart, God saw this coming, He knows your pain and He is just involved in your life as ever.

It appears I may be in the minority but I am trying to get into a full time ministry.  I have been a bi-vocational minister for 8 years. Working as a Supervisor in a local factory I have been through the polotics and the heartbrakes on the secular side and I have learned that each one of these is a part of the process.  Recently after 28 years the company was purchased by an Austrian group and closed. All I got was a letter in the mail saying you no longer have a job.  Dont bother to come to work.  The severance packages were cancelled as well.  28 years and a letter was it.  No congregation that is God inspired would ever be that cruel.  The mininstry is tough.  It wasn’t meant to be easy or anybody could do it.  But My Lord and Savior Jesus Christs has been schooling me for the last 30 years and I look forward to the opportunity.  I pray for all the ministers out there who have given and given and seem to recieve so little in return.  Its not the job, it’s not the people.  Our war is not with them, it’s with Satan and he loves discouragement.  Our battle is to keep our guard up and fight each and every day and hour with hope and love and determination.  When you can’t fight anymore then its time to take a break.  I just want to get into the fray full time and do my part.  God bless you all.

Well, this is the first time I have read a blog log.  All the things that people are struggling with can be overwhelming to take in.  I recently decided that I needed to leave my current church.  I do not have a “next” call.  What I proposed to my church was a six month interim transition where I would stay on while I looked for God’s direction and they looked for their next pastor.  It is a graceful way to part as well as it being sent out by the church to our next call.  This sunday the Elders will announce this to the congregation.  I have a part-time asociate pastor who is considering applying for the senior pastor position.  I felt for him to serve as interim and candidate for the position would be bad for him and the church.  I have been considering leaving for at least a year now because of a lack of vision and heart to continue with the church.  I guess you can check with me in a few months to ask how its working out.  I felt it was God’s answer for us and the church.  We have three kids in school who we would like to see finish the year at our present location.  I will be looking for God’s new direction for us over the next 6 months and hope to start a new work by August.  My hope in sharing this approach to leaving is that it will help someone see that there are many good ways to say goodbye if you seek God’s way.

What ever you do, brothers and sisters, it is important to remember that your family—if you are married (and/or have children living at home)—is your first, and primary place of ministry. The ‘ministry at church’ should not replace our commitment to our ‘first ministry’—our home and marriage.
I want to believe that one way God may be trying to communicate to us at times (regarding whether we should be in ministry or not) is by gauging the ‘temperature’ of our homes. If the strife at church has followed you home and invaded your home relationships, protect your home first. Sometime, that means stepping away from fulltime work at church—maybe just a while, maybe for good.