“Just buck it up does zero"- Why is it always someone else that needs to fix the problem that at root lies in our hearts? Why is the churches fault, the denomination, the lack of mentors, and not our selfish, lazy, prideful hearts?

We are not Jesus, but if not mistaken that is our goal!

We need less concern and blame of what we don’t have- and more on our face before God, more disciplined dicipleship, and a deeper walk with the God who loves us and gave Himslef for us!

Lord Bless,
C

Just an observation. Being just a layman attempting to follow Christ, I find it interesting how many of the comments do not mention HIM but are fed by a HAVE NOT philosophy.  HE IS EVERYTHING. Gotta go I feel the urge to go take my pastor to coffee. 

Hang in there guys and gals, some of us are truly seeking leadership and discipleship.

This is definately an issue I think that really hurts our churches more than helps.
I think we can always find reasons to give up or quit that is not the issue. Society teaches us to try things and then move on to others if it doesn’t work out and sometimes we fall into that trap as ministers. I think the above all basic thing we must do is truly pray and hear from God because not every good opportunity is a GOD opportunity. I think if God calls us to pastor or to a ministry we should never leave, quit, or resign until we feel the season is up for us. If we do leave then were we really called there or willing to pay the price. I know this is direct but I think we have patted each other on the back lon enough without really holding each other accountable. The reality is we hurt the body more when we make decisions that aren’t God led and cause more hurt than help to the Body of Christ. I think it is time we hear from God and make up in our minds to carry the cross and pay the price no matter what. If God is our God then he is all we need. He can change a board or committee, provide for us, and be the great I Am He said He was and is.

I wasn’t going to bring up the student loan issue, but since everyone is talking about it…

I’m in that category of “40,000+” in undergrad debt. To say that wasn’t a factor in our decision would be a lie. It’s hard to pay a debt like that on a pastor’s salary, much less a missionary’s salary.

Hopefully, my new career will help us take care of some of that before we decide to jump back into the fray of full time ministry.

I have been reading all of these comments and I think something is missing.  I have only been in the ministry now for a little over a year. The Pastor of the church brought me on and the church hired me as Youth Minister last August and then the Pastor was forced to resign in November, leaving me there all alone.  I am the only full time paid staff there and have been for over eight months.  This has probably been the hardest of most stressful year of my life but I would not give it up for anything because I am in the business of making an eternal difference in the lives of others and if I have to go through the junk to do that, then it is worth it.  There is no staff, no support, and out of the 20-25 youth that we have, only one has parents who are involved. My prayer was that God would allow us to reach out to the misfits and rift raft and he has honored those prayers.  My church is small and very traditional.  They are prety much against all that he youth do.  I feel like I am constantly fighting a losing battle with the church being unaaceptable to the very kids that I am in the business of reaching out to.  I agree with the quit whining and grow up because it’s not meant to be easy, but what about the other side of the coin.  When do we take a stand and ask the congregation to grow up.  When to we take a stand and hold them accountable.  We are just as much to blame for the condition of the church because we as the leaders have stood by and done nothing either for fear of the congregation or something else.  We need to take a stand and give the church back to God and take it out of the hands of the people.  Acts 2:23 tells us that “you (you and I)with the help of godless men, nailed Jesus to the cross ...” What happens is that even though we may not be taking an active role in some of the things that go on within the church that are wrong, the very fact that we do nothing and fail to take a stand makes us justas guilty.  We need to lead the church back to God and not be afraid to exert a little church discipline.  Yeah, those are two words you do not hear of anymore.

Wondering why I am not currently serving on a church staff and still going through a healing process?  The straw that broke me and my family can be summed up by imagining having a “Chuck-like” executive pastor.  Let’s face it there is a difference in the way senior pastors of large churches are treated vs smaller churches.  In a large church, the senior level pastors are given all sorts of perks from well-to-do members, but the rest of the ministerial staff are usually still barely making it.  However, the senior level leaders tend to expect the rest of the staff to dress in expensive clothing, look the part, and to “suck it up.” I am thankful we have a Father in heaven who is not like this.

I thought that #1 and #8 are pretty close to the same answer.  I think that one of the biggest problems for young pastors is that they come on board without a complete understanding of what is expected of them by the congregation.  Many times it is unreasonable, impossible and so far from doing God’s work that they are crushed by the reality.  There is also tremendous pressure to pick up any slack that forms in any area of the church.  Pastors in general will often try to take everything upon themselves just to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.  While admirable, I think this practice is deadly and causes church members to expect more from the pastor and offer less of themselves.

I am one of the young ministers who left church ministry after a rough six years.  I cannot say I relate to any of the 10 reasons.  I have always been in a support role such as worship leader or worship leader/youth. God did not call me to a role as senior pastor.  In my first church, I became more “popular” than the senior pastor so he fired me (I am not making that up).  The second church was better.  The senior pastor and I are friends and worked hard for the Lord.  However, growth was minimal and we did not have financial support to continue the work. Large portions of the church budget was coming out of our pockets. My friend finally told me that if I wanted to look somewhere else, he understood and encouraged me to do so.  I posted my resume and a large number of churches expressed interest.  After praying and interviewing, we felt we were led to one of the churches.  They presented themselves as though they were on the same page as me, but they were not.  The leadership was horrible.  To make a long story short, they fired me in what can only be described as the most wounding and humiliating experience in my life.  Needless to say, I began to reevaluate my life.  After much prayer, God has led me to start my own ministry.  That has taken several different forms and is still growing, but the doors God has opened have been amazing.  I get to use my counseling skills, preaching/teaching gifts and worship leading at a local mission.  I also have time to work on a CD I have always wanted to do plus a few of books that up to this point have only existed in outline form.  I have had more opportunities to witness than I ever did at my last church because you were always expected to be in the office. Plus, my wife and I are about to start a Bible study in our house for people who do not like to go to church because of past experiences (and we have met a lot of them).  We have also, Lord willing, found a good church to plug into in a non-staff position.  By this time next year, I will have counseled more people, led more people to the Lord and reached far more hurting people than I ever did in a church position.  I am having a blast and I am making less money than I have my entire life.  My wife and I joke that the older I get, the more educated I become and the less money I make.  I say all this to say, if you are tired of church ministry, remember, there is a whole world of opportunity outside of being a church staffer.

This is an interesting subject. This weekend I spoke with my sister about a young pastor that had left the ministry. This young man was a heartless thug until one day he went into a church and stayed there in prayer for 2 days, when he came out he was a new man, the Lord delivered him from his anger, drugs, and gave him a new heart. He went into ministry and 7 years later he has left the church and started a small business (a mechanic shop).
I beleive the reason he left is that when people are really saved from destruction, give their hearts to the Lord and are called to serve Him that they encounter a unbiblical worldly churches and systems that are contradictions rather than examples, they find ministers, staff and members that have their own kingdoms and objectives. When we in sincerity attempt to make a difference we are pushed aside and labled “troublemakers, jealous, rebellous or discontented. They find pastors who act more like company presidents than mentors and shepherds. They find churches that want their talent to advance its own agenda rather than the Kingdom of God.

As for the comment abut Lilly and the money being poured into sustaining pastoral leadership - it is my experience that they rarely gift to people who have been out 5 years or less.  Of important note as well is that most congregations do not offer sabbaticals to young pastors.  So - pour all the money you want into that program - and it does no good for those we are talking about. 

Another point may be that as the church institutions crumble around us - so does the lack of support for pastors in local congregations.  If you go into the ministry depending on a larger network of support from your synods, etc. than you will only end up disappointed. 

Plus, typically young pastors are lined up with congregations that are on the curve towards decline - and even though some can help get that trend righted - for the most part a sense of their call is being diminshed in this setting.  ONly after you get some age on you will you really know how to lead is what is being communicated.  Sad but true.  And then looking outside the church - these young pastors see how people their same age have been entrusted with huge leadership responsibilities and possibilities.  Tough to keep the vision to see beyond this.

As we minister - we got to do all we can to stay fresh - plugged into networks of support that we engage with - and certainly - pay attention to why it was we felt called into the ministry in the first place.  God calls - but so does the congregation.  All the time we spend putting down those whom we serve ends up destroying us and the congregation along the way. 

Peace
pc

As I read the comments I too have reflected on the “call” God makes on our lives as pastors, staff, and members of ministry families.
I have experienced both good and evil in the church and have participated in both camps.  However if the numbers of ministry personnel are leaving at alarming rates then maybe it isn’t the person.  I find it hard to believe that there is an epidemic of unfaithfulness alive and well in the clergy and support staff. 
No doubt there are some who are not truly called but there just can’t be that many who weren’t called all ending up in the same profession.
For all the scripture quoted in the blogs it is strange that no cited the passages in John’s Revelation when God says to the churches that he will remove the lampstand (NIV).  Maybe it is just God fulfilling a promise, but we would never be so bold as to have God being active in the leaving of a minister from an assignment. 
I just could be wrong.

WOW! What a wide variety of comments. I am amazed at the list, and frankly was expecting a deeper reason for abandoning what many claim to be their call. Yes, churches abuse and we all have unfullfilled expectations. As I recall scripture says that our expectations should come from the Lord. I also say that schools and pastors don’t do nearly enough to prepare young men to do the work - yes I said work!!! There is a lot less stress at McDonalds but the boss is a clown and the reward of selling a large fry isn’t nearly as satisfying as seeing a life changed. I will gladly suffer a little (or sometimes a lot) to see the reward of a life changed for eternity. If we focus on the negative, we will most certainly find them (escpeccially on Monday). The one or two board members who rub us wrong will never take the place of the many smiles, hugs, and “Thank Yous” we get throughout the week. Jesus set the example when he humbled himself and washed the disciples feet. Did he deserve more? Sure. Did He expect more? No. It is about Him, always and in every situation. And I do believe that God said it before Rick Warren. I think that the falling away is simply a revealing of the heart it takes to minister to a sinful world. Not that it is the reason for every situtation (I have heard and experienced the nightmare as well). If you left ministry for the 10 reasons above, maybe you didn’t understand ministry to begin with. Who is responsible, I am! I need to make sure that every young man or woman in my church who seeks a life of ministry is absolutely prepared for the Theological side as well as the practical side. To the many who I may have failed, I apologize. I will try harder! To the others out there, pick up the pieces and move on, as hard as it is. Find your fulfillment in Christ, not church and seek His direction. This morning for some reason I had a verse in my mind as I woke up. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.” Prov 3:5-6
Just some thoughts.

I believe one of the reasons young pastor are leaving the ministry is because of an additional two reasons.1)they weren’t called in the first place for full time five-fold ministry. They were emotionally moved and thought the only way to self interpret the emotion is to join the ministry.2)I think another reason they quite the ministry is because of lack of vision. They were never giving the right vision in their training or they never sought it from the Lord. Vision will carry you through the tought spots in ministry.

Because this is a comment page, I will state a reason the I have witnessed many times regarding pastors leaving ministry. To many churches operate in a unscriptural structure of the perishoners ruling the pastor. The are untrained, can be soulish, and I have seen some boards that I would question the relationship with God. Paul told Timothy what kind of people to select for leadership as overseers and lay ministers. He never contradicted Ephesians 4:11-13 by saying that these pastors answer to lay ministers, but the other way around. I believe out of fear of failing ministers churches post insiders to point fingers at the pastor and spy out all his weaknesses. This is serious pressure for a pastor to know that a board member, who may not have any vision for ministry only power, has the authority to boot a God-led pastor who only wants to follow the Lord.