The tired pastor (Part 2)

 One reason many pastors feel overwhelmed by ministry is self-inflicted. They refuse to delegate anything to anyone. Some, in fact, resent it if someone else does something they believe they should have done.

Several years ago I talked to my Region Resource Minister about how tired and stressed I was. He listened for a few minutes and responded, "The reason you are so tired is that you are the church. You're doing everything yourself. Not only is that making you stressed, it also prevents the church from being the church." I immediately recognized how true his words were. The following Sunday I announced the title of my sermon was "Confessions of a Tired Pastor." I shared my conversation with the congregation and pointed out how God has called ministers to equip the congregation to do the work of ministry (Eph. 4). Not only did I change the course of my ministry, but our church began to grow as more people became involved in ministry.

Why is it so hard for ministers to delegate? Sometimes, we feel like it's easier if we do it ourselves. It might be, but how do we help others grow as disciples if we are trying to do everything? Maybe they won't do it like we would, but does that matter if it gets done? Or maybe we're afraid someone will mess up and not do something properly. I have to admit that I've messed up more than once. That's how we learn. We're not perfect, and we shouldn't expect perfection from others either.

For some, refusing to delegate is a reflection of what they have learned. Perhaps they grew up in a church where the pastor did everything, so they assume that's expected of them as well. Maybe they learned something in seminary that caused them to believe that some tasks could only be performed by someone ordained.

Unfortunately, some pastors will not delegate because of ego issues. They're afraid someone will do something better than they do. They crave the appreciation that others give them when something good is done, and they don't want someone else to receive that. Any minister who struggles in this area needs  counseling to learn why they feel this way.

Regardless of the reasons for not delegating, trying to do everything is a sure-fire way to feel stress and exhaustion. It is also one reason why congregations fail to grow as disciples. Discipleship is a combination of learning and doing, and if we do not let them do, they will never grow.