My Friends,

Laziness - pretty much ticks me off.  Hope that doesn’t give my thesis away too fast. However, I completely understand the intro to this blog and how lazy a pastor can be.  I have been under lazy pastors and very hard working pastors - and I’ve been a part-time associate, youth pastor, senior pastor, and now, for the first time a full-time missionary.  Just got on the mission field about 10 days ago.

A pastor has to be self-motivated.  Or Christ-motivated - whichever way sounds better to you.  The point is - I know missionaries that sit around and watch movies all the time.  I know pastors that don’t have much to show for their lives, except church’s that they manipulated, until they were almost destroyed.  Yet, these same people talk about how much they are called of God and they list scriptures about how God encourages them when people confront them on those issues.  Instead of changing, they get more resolute that they are called- (to sit around and watch movies).

Anyway, there was a time (most of my adult life) - after working very hard at 3 jobs while completing my Masters of Divinity - that I dreamed of being a “full-time” anything- It didn’t matter - just as long as it was only ONE JOB. (of course, I had one full-time job, but then I had to do others to keep afloat, to minister, etc).

Soon, it became a passion to have a full-time job in ministry.  I knew I was called since I was 9 years old.  Only one thing did I desire - to spread the Gospel.  However, after nearly burning up and out with too much work - I secretly desired to be a pastor to “relax” - just to sit home and study the BIBLE.  Can you imagine...being “paid” to pray and learn about Jesus - that was a dream job to me.

However, the Lord didn’t allow it - and for whatever reason I had to work 50-70 hours a week at BUILDING AND REMODELING (some of the hardest physical labor) and preach a sermon/take care of a small church.  That’s when I learned what real people go through just to pay their tithes.  And I came to respect the working man.  And, in a way, I have become even more discontented (called “your holy discontentment” by Pastor Bill Hybels") with LAZY pastors and missionaries.  In fact, I became so angry, that I didn’t want to become one anymore.  They carey a bad reputation -whether they know it or not - people can see - we forget they have eyes.

My encouragement - WAKE UP - the TIME IS SHORT - how many more signs of the times do we need before we put our hands to the PLOW and don’t look back???  And God forgive us for our desires to sleep in and neglect beating our bodies into submission.

Sure there are lazy pastors, and then again there are hard working pastors, and then again there are lazy pastors who have perfected the “look’ of a hard working pastor, and then there are pastors who do their best and leave the winning and confessions to those who have the time!

Maybe we just spend too much time reading blogs and other websites!  I know I do

To defend the pastor…
Ministry - it’s such an interesting job.  Pastors/missionaries should read the Bible and pray.  They should meditate and ponder.  They should be visionaries, and dreamers.  They should take visitors to lunch and meet them on their own “turf,” (the golf course or go to a ball game).  They should model being good spouses and parents (which means spending time with your family).  They should be counseling their neighbors who are having a difficult time in marriage.  They should be traveling across town to lead a lunch-time office bible study.  They should be willing to wake up to the 3 a.m. phone call and get dressed to pray with someone at the hospital.
And yet, most of the above-mentioned isn’t considered “hard work” by the world’s standards.  Hard work is viewed as 60 hours a week, constantly busy, and never leaving your cubicle. 
Funny thing is, when I (a pastor) show up on Sunday morning, the congregation is expecting to hear a “good message,” which means I better be prepared and “prayed up.” When I take someone to a ball game, we have three hours to talk about a variety of things including personal issues.  When I take time to meditate, ponder, consider, and think, my congregation is better off for it.  When I get the 3 a.m. phone call, it’s not a matter of if I’ll go, it’s how fast I can get to the hospital. 
Well, how do you calculate those hours?  Do I log in my 1/2 hour phone call that someone made to my house during dinner?  Do I account for the hour I spent on the treadmill thinking about my upcoming sermon?  Do I let someone know that while I was playing golf I was also counseling my playing partner? 
Yes, the volunteer elder or deacon has to work and then attend an elder’s meeting or deacon’s meeting.  But the pastor is the one who has to live through all of the ramifications of that meeting (budgets, staff issues, growth or decline issues, complaints, etc.). 
Most pastors have expectations placed upon them that most in the workforce, sans CEO’s, don’t.  Great orator, great counselor, great manager, great leader, financial wizard, full of compassion, dynamic visionary, and able to play the drums when the drummer calls in sick.
As one of my friends said, “When you preach, it’s like you have to prepare a mini-dissertation every week.”
I know, “poor pastor.” I’m not looking for sympathy, and certainly don’t condone laziness.  But until one is a pastor, it’s very difficult to get a feel for exactly how things get accomplished from week to week.

Work ethic in the ministry is a good topic.  I get angry at how some abuse their position as pastors as well as how some abuse pastors.  Here are two thoughts.

I think the main thing that is tough for pastors is the emotional energy factor.  It is like being a cop on a beat that may have strings of time with slow activity only to be called upon tos serve heroically when there is a dire need.  That is draining.  The fireman has to keep the truck ready and his skills honed.  So do we.  That is one side.

Besides the emotional part, other people have occupations that keep them from their families on weekends.  We need to be aware of how hard people work outside the ministry bubble.  If you are not clocking 50 hours a week, how can you know what your parishoners go through?  If you are disorganized and lazy you will be working harder not smarter.  That is a waste.

Interesting topic. Now that I work with churches instead of within a church, I find myself around all types of senior pastors and would agree with most of what the author pointed out. But what I haven’t read here in the comments (or in his article) is that seminary doesn’t teach our pastor how to work smart.

They don’t teach:
* Accounting
* Psychology
* Management
* Business
* Creative Team Planning
* Leadership
* Conflict Resolution
* anything about technology

Somehow pastors are supposed to intuitively learn all of these things that make up 90% of their work week. And that doesn’t even cover how to achieve balance or how to say “no”.

Far too many are the one-man band - and I’m not just talking about churches running 100 and limited on staff and resources. Yet the healthiest churches I know are lead by a leader and empowered by a staff-led church that is accountable to the elders. And, almost invariably, these churches have moved to a team planning approach for weekends instead of the “if-it-is-to-be-it-is-up-to-me” mindset that is limiting most pastors.

Having worked for three very different pastors and now working with dozens of pastors in a consultative role, what I see resonates with the author’s observations. More precisely, I think that they are a large number of pastors who shouldn’t be senior pastors. They’re simply not capable of meeting the unique demands and, though this is simply my opinion, they’re likely listening to ego more than “call”.

Now there are a smaller number of pastors who are amazing people who have the rare blend of giftings, abilities and wisdom to use their strengths, manage their weaknesses and surround themselves with a team that is more capable than they are in specific disciplines. And while you can read all the leadership books you want on “how to be a senior pastor”, the bottom line is that a large number of those wearing that robe of responsibility are probably not able to handle the responsibility. If it was possible for every pastor to become a great visionary leader, we’d be seeing growth in churches as the norm instead of decline.

My 3 cents (raised due to gas prices),

Anthony D. Coppedge
Creative Church Media & Communications Consultant

It is difficult to measure spirituality in economic terms. That is the challenge here. I have seen hard working and “hard working” sluggards. Most often the “hard working” sluggards were not spiritually sharp. That is difficult to define, but not observe.
I need to maintain an edge that everyday makes an eternal difference. One week a man named Dan come to my office for a drop to ask about volunteering at the church. In our discussion I realized he did not have a relationship with God. After sharing with him about Jesus, he chose to follow our great Rabbi. Several months later he shared that he was planning on committing suicide that afternoon. As he drove by the church he wondered about one more trip to see if he could find something. That discussion that I barely remembered, somehow God said something to him.

Realizing my uttter inability to perform this vocation, I got to my knees.

This job is full of mundane time honing our skills with momentary exciting events, much like a police man, fire fighter or soldier. 

Thought provoking article - WOW

Living in his grace, may I never take it for granted.

Aaron

Bert -

Your comments earlier were really well stated and it is important to remember that our work weeks often look very different than others but they are work the same and we are always on call.  Remembering that it is God who judge our service is motivation to serve well.

Now I know there probably is a lot of lazy pastors out there.  I know I was truely called to the ministry because I work a fulltime job plus am the Associate Pastor at a church where neither the pastor or I get paid we work a job that God provided for us and then we also spend the time working our ministry for God and he will pay us when he returns and takes us home to be with him.  If you want to know if you are called by God give up your pastoral paycheck get a job in the real world and then still accept that 2a.m. call for counciling when it come in go comfort that family 3 late nights when their family member is dying thats a ministry and God gives us the energy to do it

I am a guy who worked as a volunteer, teaching Sunday school and lessons for our youth groups for 20 years and then went full time.
Yes it ticked me off to work a 50 hour week and then do my “Church work” and also show up for the “work day” at church and our pastors only put in a 40 hour week ( Counting their devotional time and reading as work also)
I’m currently in church that is dying as our “Head “ pastor is in the building about 20 hours per week and that includes Sundays. Yet was able to convince our pastoral relations committee to give them a month off as they are soooooo overworked. This person does preaches maybe twice a month and co teaches a class on Wednesday night with another person. That is it for a salary over $55,000 a year.
Yet on the opposite side; the pasotr who mentored me was in his late 60’s and working 60 hour and was 83 years old before God called him home ot “Retirement” weeks

Bi-vo guy here.

I have to admit that a lot of my time is wasted - there, now I’ve said it.  I spend time on the computer just letting my brain unwind from the demands of my other jobs (I work 2 part-time jobs besides full-time at the church - most weeks, that is).

But I also have to admit that very little of that computer time isn’t valuable to ministry in some form or another, especially when it’s in dialogues such as this.

There are times when I am so exhausted that I have to go home during the day before I fall asleep at my desk, because I’ve put in so many hours at my other job (increased workload) and getting ready for Sunday, that I am simply exhausted.

Other times I have to totally unplug and just read something FUN - not the latest Max Lucado book, either.  I’m talking Louis L’Amour or Sherlock Holmes or Calvin & Hobbes.  Or watch a John Wayne movie (even the ones where he says d--- or h--- and stuff).  Anything to just catch my breath.

If that makes me lazy, then so be it.  But I’ve been to the point when I have suffered health-wise for working three jobs (even before I became a pastor) and I’m still paying for it years later.

But I think if you ask my board, they will tell you that I’m pulling the load they asked me to as the pastor.  At least I hope!

Brian

If you have a lazy pastor, you might want to find another church! There are many pastors out there that are called of God, and are serious about their duties as pastor. I personally have been a pastor of a small church in Tennessee for 3 years now. I have never received a salary and I hold a secular job as well. We don’t stress giving but rather a more dedicated and devoted walk with the Lord.

A.W Tozer once said “No preacher has any right to die of old age if hard work will kill him” We pastors need to be hard at work for the Lord and great examples in every area. If we work hard we can rightly ask this of others and only then. Thanks for reading this.

Pastor Joel

Ahh, the “busy/lazy pastor” paradox. Been there.
Two comments:
1) It’s difficult to compare “brain-labour” work (for lack of a better term) with “manual labour” work. Who works harder, a shelf-stocker who’s on his feet 10 hrs a day lifting boxes, or a lawyer who’s studying case law and preparing briefs? Some days I come home exhausted even though I couldn’t list the “tasks” I accomplished that day.

2) Some days I am lazy. I’ll admit it. I find that for me it’s the days when I go in without a plan for the day. If I have goals and plans, I work harder. If I go in without any specific goals and deadlines, I drift.

I’m thankful for the freedom of a “pastoral schedule” (ex. today, I’m picking up the kids from school). I also know the pressures (my kids have been complaining recently that I’m never home). I’m also very disappointed some days in how much time I wasted. I also know that some pastoral days are not easily plotted with a conventional “to-do” list.

Good reminder to us all to be accountable and honest with our time.