Pastoral Ministry

“I asked several friends of The Gospel Coalition who currently serve, or have served, as lead pastors, What’s the best piece of advice or word of exhortation you’d give to a new elder?” - TGC

“The overlapping ‘head-honcho’ cultures of the Mexican caudillo pastor and the ‘my-way-or-the-highway’ authority granted pastors in many American churches can compound the already real challenge of inevitable transition to a new leader—making the principle of pastoral responsibility for that transition all the more critical.” - BJU Seminary

“Forty-seven percent of Evangelical pastors work bivocationally, compared to 35% of clergy overall, said Lifeway, which compiled data from the National Survey of Religious Leaders (NSRL) …. The national average increased from 28% in a similar survey conducted in 2001.” - CPost

“Though record levels of pastors, including more than half in mainline Protestant churches, seriously considered leaving full-time ministry during the COVID-19 pandemic, only about 1% of them have been leaving ministry work annually in the last decade, a new Lifeway Research study finds.” - CPost

“…crafting sentences that flow smoothly and are readable is becoming increasingly rare. I often read news articles from major outlets that are filled with typographical errors….I mention this not to throw stones but to encourage you to personally combat this tide of dehumanization. Read books. Write. Sharpen your craft if you are a pastor.” - Richard Bargas

“God knows we’re embattled in this world. That’s why he doesn’t leave us to fight alone. Instead, he gives us pastors. Your pastor may not look like a warrior, but his job description is to battle on your behalf through his ministry of the Word and prayer.” - 9 Marks

“The pastor has been dealing with a number of ongoing health issues, including complications from a heart valve replacement he had in the summer of 2024. These health problems have kept him from the pulpit and public ministry for the better part of a year.” - C.Leaders

“I am convinced, however, that at least for now my calling is to bivocational ministry. I don’t propose bivocationalism as the only form of pastoral ministry, but I do offer it as a valid model that can reap eternal benefits.” - Baptist Press

“The core of Barr’s complaint has merit. She notes that the ‘pastor’s job often includes the unpaid labor of his wife.’ Barr didn’t mind helping her husband; however, she says, “What I minded was feeling like my help was an expectation for his job” - TGC

“It’s a little bit of a bummer to realize that later I’ll look back at the me I am now and be glad I’m not entirely the same me any longer. But [1 Tim 4.15] has mainly been an encouragement. It means I can be qualified to be an elder and set an example with my life without ‘having arrived.’ I can grow.” - Kevin DeYoung