Writer says:
“Have you ever left or stayed at a job specifically because of your level of job satisfaction?”

I think almost all people struggle with this, in ministry or not.

Why is it that so many people and articles seem to imply that minister’s have it harder than others?  There are a lot of people doing what they can just to survive.

Ministers are supposed to devote their life to serving Christ.  Christ promised hardship and persecution, so why is hardship a reason to contemplate leaving?

John 15:20 (our Lord Jesus Talking:)
Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

Romans 5
3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope.

...Bernie
http://www.FreeGoodNews.com

We are just ending a “long hot summer” of conflict and attacks also; I have had to cut staff along with expenses because of people getting mad and leaving. But instead of being discouraged, God has given me a greater resolve to stay the course.  There have been many days of stolen joy but only when the circumstances of the day have overshadowed the calling to which I have been called.  My joy is in the Lord, not in the circumstances.  It has already been said that what we do is not about being able to feed our family, if that is the reason we are in the ministry it won’t last long! (You have to be a TV evangelist to get RICH in the ministry! ha!)
Romans 11:29 says “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” God has called us as ministers to endure, and to be catalysts within the circumstances we find ourselves.  He never called us to a life of comfort, but one of trials that would make us more like Him.  That is what brings Him glory.
God is a never changing God who changes everything!  We change, and our churches change. In place of looking at the reasons there is an empty seat in row 7, I have to discipline myself to look across the congregation and see the lives that have been changed because of our obedience.  THEY are worth it.

Struggles come for a reason. This is not wishful thinking but a Bible concept. God has a way of showing us the mistakes we did in choosing one situation or the other.
Is not difficult to be unreal about the nature of a new call to work in a particular church.
I believe it is quite possible to have hidden desires and aspirations that do not come for a biblical world view. It is not much like dating...we often like to see the best or the shiniest in the other person…
Thankfully God is merciful and he will use the current vocational struggles to forge us into someone better, more able to distinguish ‘misplaced’ callings, which in time produce much dissatisfaction…

I had just such a conflict that went on for about 18 months on whether God was moving me out of the church where I served as an Associate Pastor, and on to some other unknown future.  I had served there for 7 years (4 as a volunteer, 3 as paid staff) and I loved that church with every ounce of my being.  My passion for the ministry there was unquenchable and that never changed even during my 18 months of uncertainty about leaving. The Lord had been hugely blessing those ministries He put in my care and even up until the time I resigned He was leading me in what to do next in ministry there. My confusion was that things were going so well from a ministry standpoint...I had recruited and trained 175 volunteers in adult ministries, the number of people in small groups grew by over 400% in a year, giving had increased, and our attendance grew to peaks of 1800 from 600 when I first started attending church there.  The disconnect was that I was never supported by the senior pastor or the board. Church members took notice of the senior pastor’s lack of support for me and would often ask me about it or make comments, but I assured them that they were wrong and besides I was so wrapped up and excited about all that the Lord was doing through the ministries and people He put in my hands to shepherd that I didn’t really need any kudos or care so much about being recognized by him as a contributing member of the staff.  I ignored people’s comments that the other pastors only worked partial days to my usual 80 hr weeks because I wanted to work that much. I ignored the other pastors talking about going to the movies in the afternoons. I was ok and happy until the senior pastor started wanting more hours from me and there were not any more hours to give. A new associate pastor was hired and the whole culture of the church changed and people began to leave.  I found it extremely difficult to support the new changes that were put in place.  Between the lack of support by the senior pastor and the board, and the culture and direction of the church being one where I was no longer comfortable serving, I finally resigned after much prayer and many tears.  It was the hardest thing I have ever done. Because the Lord continued to lead me in ministry up to the very end, and because I had such great support from the congregation I wonder if I was just weak and should have stayed.  I wonder if Satan temporatily won that battle over me. I think of Christ and all He went through for us, and wonder if God is disappointed in me for leaving and not charging ahead.  I am now back in corporate work. Not many churches in the Bible belt will hire a female pastor, but I know that God is faithful and He will open a door for me in vocational ministry in His time.  I trust Him totally for what the future may bring.

Hey James,

I could be wrong, but I think most smart senior leaders strategically will recruit and hire to their weaknesses.

One of the first things I would want to determine is if the senior leader has a clear understanding of your gifts and passion and can articulate why he believes that about you.

If he doesn’t know the abilities and passions of his core leaders (paid or volunteer), then you’ve got much bigger problems than the one you’re asking about.

Nevertheless, if it were me, I believe I would begin by inquiring as to what kind of commitment this would be. Is it indefinite? Will it be your primary responsibility? (Remember, you have been placed under his authority AND care by the sovereign Lord for a purpose, even though that purpose may be unclear.)

If you are being asked to take on responsibilities outside of your core competency, passions, and spiritual gifting, then I would not want that to be the “majority focus” of your role. If that is what the senior leader is in fact asking of you, then I would really want to discuss a formal (and maybe written) “exit strategy”, that clearly defines how long you will be expected to serve outside of your primary calling and what exactly is the plan to get you out from under those responsibilities. I would want to know who will be responsible for recruiting to cover his gaps?

It is nothing unusual for a leader (particularly in a new church plant, when embracing new leadership practices or when launching a new, unfamiliar initiative) to have to function outside of his core gifting, calling, and passion. This is the very nature of leadership and the idea behind leadership development. A true leader will reproduce other leaders, which ultimately means venturing into uncharted territory and then training and empowering people to do things that they haven’t done before. This is very true in the church, where a pastor has to equip the saints to do such a wide array of activities.

If you believe you are a strong leader, you might take on the responsibility with the objective of taking on an apprentice to replace you in “filling the gaps” for the senior leader. (But only if your gifting and competency would support such a goal.)

that’s my ramblings.

My fear would be…to finally find that dream job and still not be satisfied…

I find it quite humorous to read the messages left on this topic today. The responses are divided down the middle between sternly standing in the face of evil and sucking it up mentality, and sharing the hurts that many of us are living in.

I find it rediculous to believe that giving a one sentence answer of trusting God, or following His leading is sufficient. The ignorance of such a statement can be seen by all of us that are dealing with the every day struggles of the ministry, personal charachter attacks on ourselves and family, and the judgemental nature of the world and church. We all know we need to trust God, and that he is in charge. This is the very reason we are concerned about whether to leave or not. We want to follow and serve Christ!!! The problem is that we can’t seem to find our way through the fog of problems and hurts in the ministry to discover what His will is for the situation, or if our perception is actual reality.

For those that are hurting, I will pray for you today. I am among you. In the past several years, I have been through alot of unneccesary and unfounded hurts in the ministry. The problem is there is no real answer of how long to stay in one place. I know that God has a greater plan than any of us know, and if we seek Him continually he will gives us answers. Don’t be afraid to pray for specifics, and God will lead the way.

I am a firm believer that God can fix what has been wronged, so please don’t give up too quickly, but I also believe that God wants us to be joyful servants, and if you cannot overcome the wrongs done to you, or by you, then maybe the time has come to move on. Please be prayful in this though, as you can do more damage to the kingdom if you leave a church unhappy, and start in a new church unhappy.

There is no easy fix, and no easy answer, and after the 3rd, 4th, and 5th times that you have to make the tough decision of moving your family across the country, and starting new again, the ministry seems to look less attractive. Remember your call, and don’t be afraid to honestly determine your gifts, needs, and wants. God will use you no matter where you are, or what you do, and he will use someone else for the voids we leave behind.

We have to remember one principle.

If we are not to take credit for the postitive things in ministry, I mean He gets the glory. We are not to be puffed up with pride because it is God that is doing the work, I am just being availible. Well the same priciple applies for the bad stuff, If I am really called, and He is the one doing the work, then guess what, the ciritcism is all His too. All the bad stuff is not mine, it is His. And if we will let Him have it, he will deal with it. But there is one last priciple that we must look at, if we pick the bad stuff up and claim it as ours, He will let us have it!!!
My joy is not in circumstances it is only in my relationship with Him.  .....I know you dont have to say it.....much easier said than done!