The pastor shortage Part 3

 In recent posts I've been addressing the pastor shortage that is impacting our churches. If you haven't read those, I encourage you to go back and do so. Today, I want to continue this discussion with an additional thought about pastoral leadership and its value to our churches.

In the past post I focused on some things judicatories can do to help their pastors and relieve some of the pressures of pastoral ministry. Another thing our judicatory was able to do when I was serving on our staff was to help relieve some of the financial burdens our pastors felt. We were able to do that due to a very generous grant made available to us through Lilly. We were able to pay off student debt, medical bills, and other debts our pastors had. Can you imagine the impact that had on those pastors and their families? We also sought donations from our churches into a fund to enable us to continue to support our pastors in this way. Since I've been retired for a few years and out of the loop, I don't know if this program still exists or not, but we made a major impact on the finances of our pastors through this opportunity.

Again I am emphasizing the impact a judicatory can have on the health of its pastoral leadership. When pastors feel supported and appreciated by their judicatory leadership, they are less likely to leave the ministry. But, there is another advantage here that judicatories can enjoy. You can attract better pastors to the churches in your region. When pastors see that they are going to be supported by the judicatory they are going to become more interested in serving in that region or district.

No one has influenced me more in the area of leadership than John Maxwell. In his wonderful book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership,  he begins with Law 1, the Law of the Lid. The Law of the Lid says that no organization can rise any higher than the lid of its leadership. If the leader of any organization, including churches, has a leadership lid of a four, it can never rise higher than a 3 in effectiveness. The only way to raise the effectiveness of the organization is to raise the lid of its leadership.

As a lay leader in a church, do you want to improve the effectiveness of your church? The only way to do that is to raise the leadership lid of your pastor and lay leaders. As a judicatory leader, do you want to raise the effectiveness of the churches in your judicatory? The only way to do that is to raise the leadership lid of your pastors and the lay leaders in your churches. In the midst of a pastor shortage, do you want to raise the leadership lid of the pastors in your judicatory? The only way to do that is to attract the best pastors to serve in your judicatory, and the way to do is to become known as a judicatory who best serves its pastors. When you become knows as a judicatory that appreciates and supports its pastors, you will find pastors taking a second look at your open churches. As you attract better pastors and leaders to serve in your judicatory, you will find your judicatory begin to grow. Your churches become healthier, and they begin to grow. You have better leaders to serve in positions within your judicatory. It's a win for everyone!

The pastor shortage Part 2

 Yesterday, I addressed the problem of a shortage of pastors and offered some suggestions that might help. I want to continue that conversation today.

I have a lot of respect for denominational leaders. Like pastors, they have a lot of people wanting to advise and influence them. In many denominations, they spend much of their time trying to satisfy the different interests within their denomination. I have spent my ministry in the ABC-USA, the most diverse of any denomination. I know my denominational leaders walk a tightrope trying to keep all the special interest groups satisfied. While I have great respect for the diversity found in our denomination, I can sometimes get frustrated when our leadership doesn't take a stand I think they should take. At the same time, I understand why they don't. Having said all that, there is much they could probably do to help address the clergy shortage that exists within our denomination, but I have little hope they will. That brings me to our judicatories.

When I retired as an Regional Resource Minister in our region I was serving 133 churches. One of the things I tried to do was serve as an advocate for the pastor. When pastors were unfairly terminated by a church I fought for a fair severance package of at least six month salary and benefits. I didn't always win, but I usually got something for the pastor. Usually, it didn't hurt my relationship with the church, and when it did, it was normally with a very unhealthy church so I didn't really care. They had greater issues than being angry with me. I encouraged churches to be very generous with their salary and benefit packages reminding them what it will cost if they have to seek new pastoral leadership. I argued for sabbaticals after seven years for their pastors. 

I challenged every church to give their pastors four weeks vacation every year. Most wanted to offer two weeks when the pastor started, but I would remind them of how little it actually cost them to give their pastor the extra two weeks. Most of those churches paid $150.00-200.00 for a supply pastor, so that extra two weeks would cost them at the most $400.00. I then explained how much those two weeks would mean to the pastor and his or her family, and that would only cost the church $400.00. I worked very hard to make sure that the pastors and their families knew I supported them and would do anything I could to make their ministry more enjoyable. Pastors need to know their judicatory leaders support them, and, from emails I've received over the years, many do not.

I'm also convinced the best continuing education for pastors will come through their judicatories. They know their pastors and what they need. They know their churches and their needs. Parachurch ministries, and even denominations, do not know the churches and pastors as well as the judicatories. More of these training events need to be scheduled at the judicatory level. When I was serving on regional staff we offered a three-year continuing education opportunity we called "Church Alive" which was designed to bring renewal to our churches. I think we had mixed success, but at least in some churches we did see some renewal come as a result of that program.

In short, I believe that our judicatories can do much to help our pastors, and by extension, our churches, enjoy fruitful ministry. That enjoyment will result in fewer pastors wanting to leave the ministry which leads to many positive things in our churches.

Training for bivocational ministers

In my last post I discussed the need for denominations and judicatories to begin to intentionally develop pools of potential bivocational ministers to serve their smaller churches. Just identifying these individuals is not enough. We also need to provide the training they will need to be effective in this role.

Many of the people we identify as possible bivocational ministers will not have any kind of formal ministerial training. Since they have other jobs they may not be able to pursue a typical seminary education. Such education may not be what they need most anyway, but they do need to have training available to them.

When I joined the staff of the American Baptist Churches of Indiana and Kentucky one of my portfolio responsibilities was a program called the Certified Lay Ministry training. The way it was structured was not working so after a few months we eliminated this for another program we called the Church Leadership Institute. I led a great committee consisting of educators, lay persons, and pastors who developed an outstanding program that has not changed much since its inception. Although originally designed primarily to train lay leaders, a number of people competing the program have gone on to serve as pastors in our bivocational churches.

Similar training programs are found in numerous denominations and judicatories. However, some areas still lack any kind of training for bivocational ministers. This will have to change or these areas will struggle to find qualified persons to serve in these churches. Not every person serving in bivocational ministry will avail themselves of such training, but the best ones will, and they are the ones who will serve their churches well.

Various schools such as Campbellsville University's School of Theology are now offering online programs specially designed for bivocational ministers. I predict we will see more schools offer such opportunities in the future, and denominations may want to partner with these schools to help train their bivocational ministers.

Every judicatory needs to consider offering one or two training events each year specifically for their bivocational leaders. Obviously, most of these will need to be held on Saturdays. I'm leading about a dozen of these events this year for numerous denominations, and it's exciting to see more denominations and schools hosting such events each year.

Just as it's important to be intentional about identifying persons who might have God's call on their lives to become bivocational ministers, we must be intentional about offering them training to help them succeed in their ministries.

Where are the bivocational ministers?

This past evening I had a conversation with a denominational leader who asked if I knew of a pool of bivocational ministers. It's not the first time I've been asked that question as these leaders are finding it difficult to find such ministers for their churches. Unfortunately, there is no such pool of which I'm aware.

The denomination in which I've served has a formal listing of pastors who are open for placement, but there are very few bivocational ministers on that list. The reason for this is that bivocational ministry tends to be very geographic. It's unlikely that a minister will come from New Jersey to pastor a bivocational church in Kansas. I've found a good rule of thumb is that most bivocational pastors will be found within a one-hour drive of the church. If they have to travel much more than an hour it really lessens their ministry in the church.

As more and more churches move towards calling a bivocational pastor it is imperative that denominations and judicatories begin seeking such persons to serve these churches. Otherwise, these churches will be tempted to call persons who may not be qualified to serve as pastors. I've seen too many instances where small churches have taken a warm body just to have a pastor who turned out to cause much harm to the church.

I'm convinced that many smaller churches will find their future pastors within their own membership. I've seen several instances when a church called a gifted layperson to be their pastor, and in many cases it has worked very well. Such persons already are trusted by the church and in the community. Because they have roots in the community they are more likely to remain as pastor for an extended period of time, and this is usually good for the church.

Denominational leaders can work with pastor search committees to discern if there might be someone in the church who could serve as pastor. Calling someone into the ministry is the work of God, not of denominational leaders, but we can approach people and ask if they have ever felt that God might be calling them to such ministry.

We also need to be looking in both our larger and smaller churches for others who might possess ministry gifts and begin discussions with them about serving as bivocational ministers. Pastors are often the best persons to initiate these discussions, and as they find people who do sense a call of God on their lives this can be made known to their judicatory leaders.

Every judicatory needs to develop several pools of potential bivocational ministers so they will have people available when their churches begin searching for new pastors. The time to develop these pools is yesterday, but today is not too late! Someone in every judicatory needs to have the responsibility to intentionally focus on this growing need or our smaller churches are going to struggle to find suitable pastors.

Once we have a pool, even a small one, we must find ways to offer training. That will be the topic of my next blog post.

WII-FM

According to Wikipedia there are approximately 1,600 Christian radio stations in the United States. Some of these stations are fairly large while others are smaller, local stations. Many Christians leave their radios tuned to the favorite station to listen to the speakers and musicians they enjoy the most. However, I have found that there is one station that many Christians prefer over all others: WII-FM (What's in it for me?).

This is the station that people listen to just before they tell the pastor they are leaving for another church because "They aren't being fed here." People who decide to leave their church because they were not selected for a certain position often listen to this station before leaving. As people are presented with ideas for new ministries or possible changes in the way things are being done they often replay their favorite selections from WII-FM. Then they are ready to oppose whatever is being presented.

Somewhere these people have never been taught that it really isn't all about them, or at least it's not supposed to be. It is supposed to be about advancing the Kingdom of God. It is supposed to be about finding ways to reach people for whom Jesus died. Church was never meant to be a luxury hotel for saints; it is supposed to be a hospital for sinners. A congregation is not to call a pastor to serve them but to lead them as they use the gifts God has given them to serve others.

Maintenance-minded churches spend a lot of time listening to WII-FM. Its programs are soothing to those who are waiting for someone else to feed them and meet their every need.

Missional churches really don't spend much time listening to that station. They don't have time. These churches are too busy in the community touching people's lives where they live. Besides, they really don't buy into the programming presented on WII-FM. Something doesn't sound right. In fact, it sounds almost heretical.

By the way, it's not only individuals in churches who enjoy WII-FM. Entire churches will sometimes listen and get caught up in its philosophy. These are the churches who begin to ask themselves what their denomination is doing for them. They wonder if it's not about time to leave their denomination and join another or become independent.

I heard of one such church earlier this week. The caller thought that church had voted to withdraw from its denomination because the denomination doesn't do anything for them. I asked the caller if the church had ever requested help from the denomination to which it belonged, and he did not believe it had.

As a judicatory leader for the past 14 years this is one of my greatest frustrations. I can't speak for every leader of every denomination, but every one I've met is willing to do anything that will benefit one of their churches. The problem is that many of these churches never ask, and none of us are mind readers.

I have no way of knowing a church is involved in a conflict and needs someone to help mediate it unless someone tells me. Unless a church lets me know it is struggling trying to understand God's vision for its future, I can't help them through a process of discerning that vision. We have several good stewardship programs that can help a church's giving, but unless we know a church is interested in such a program we can't help them.

Which churches do we help? The ones who ask for such help. Which ones do we help the least? The ones who never bother to ask, and these are the ones who wonder why they remain in their denomination.

WII-FM is dangerous to both individual believers and to congregations. Buying into its philosophy will hinder the individual's spiritual growth and the growth of the church. We are not here to be served but to serve, and that is not a message you'll hear on WII-FM. Instead of asking "What's in it for me?" we should be asking "How can I help?".

Bivocational ministry in the 21st century

Most denominations report that the numbers of bivocational ministers in their denomination are growing.  A number of churches that were traditionally led by fully-funded pastors now seek bivocational ministers when their former pastors leave.  The reasons for this increase in bivocational ministry are many, and these bivocational ministers and the churches they lead need a number of things from their denominations to make this transition successful.  For the past few years I have offered a seminar on "Bivocational Ministry for the 21st Century" to help meet some of those needs.

For twenty years I served as the bivocational pastor of a small, rural church in Indiana, and for the past thirteen years I have served as a Resource Minister with the American Baptist Churches of Indiana and Kentucky.  Although I serve churches of all sizes, the majority of the churches in my Area are smaller churches, many of them bivocational.  I have published eight books on bivocational and small church ministry.  Obviously, I have a passion for such ministry.

The purpose of this seminar is two-fold: I want to encourage the individuals who have accepted the call to bivocational ministry and the churches they serve, and I want to give them information that will help them in their ministry.  Sometimes, churches with bivocational leadership struggle with self-esteem issues, especially if they have called a bivocational minister after having a fully-funded pastor.  Many bivocational ministers struggle with doubts about their ministry and often feel isolated and forgotten.  My seminar addresses these problems.

In the seminar we look at

•  how common bivocational ministry is today and address how we should measure success in ministry.
• some of the advantages of bivocational ministry to the church and to the minister's family.
• some of the unique challenges of bivocational ministry and the ministry challenges we all face in ministry today.
• how to prepare for bivocational ministry and the importance of being a life-long learner.
• how to maintain balance in five areas of our lives while serving as a bivocational minister.

I've been privileged to present this seminar to numerous denominations in various settings.  The bivocational ministers who attend have been very appreciative of the information they received and the affirmation they felt from the material.  They have also appreciated the fact that their denominational leaders offered something especially geared for them and their needs.

Some of the material from this seminar comes out of my book The Bivocational Pastor: Two Jobs, One Ministry. If this sounds like something you would like to offer to the bivocational ministers in your denomination or judicatory, please contact me.  Together, let's equip our bivocational ministers so they can best fulfill the call God has given them.

SBC names a Bivocational and Small Church Advisory Council

The Southern Baptist Convention recently named a Bivocational and Small Church Advisory Council to provide insight and counsel to the SBC Executive Committee and to serve as a bridge back to the pastors. You can read the Baptist Press news release here. This action is one that other denominations would be wise to copy.

It is no secret that the numbers of bivocational ministers are growing in nearly every denomination today, and those numbers are likely to continue to increase.  Despite this, many denominations do very little to connect with their bivocational leaders. Their focus remains on the larger churches, and the voices of their bivocational ministers are often not heard. It should come as no surprise that many bivocational ministers feel little or no connection to their denomination and its programs, and if the pastor is not connected it is likely that the churches served by these pastors will have little connection as well.

Exact numbers of bivocational ministers are impossible to determine. The annual reports of some denominations are not designed to capture that information very well, and in many denominations a significant number of smaller churches do not bother to fill out the annual report anyway. (Another sign of being disconnected!) Many leaders of various denominations with whom I speak estimate the numbers range from one-third to one-half of their churches are being served by bivocational ministers. That is a large percentage of churches to ignore and may be one reason so many denominations are struggling.

An advisory council seems like such a simple step to take to help avoid neglecting the needs of so many churches. However, it will only work if this council truly has the ear of denominational leadership. Sometimes, councils and boards are created to merely rubber-stamp the plans of the leadership. They are created for the appearance purposes only and have no significant role to actually play in the life of the organization. If this happens, bivocational ministers will catch on pretty quickly and become even more disenchanted with their leadership.

Workshops and conferences for bivocational and small church leaders

One of the things I enjoy is leading workshops and conferences for bivocational ministers and leaders of smaller churches.  When I served as a bivocational pastor I never felt that any of the workshops I attended were developed specifically for me and the church I served.  My hope at these events was that I could learn a principle, down-size it to fit our church, and our church benefit from my effort.  Sometimes that worked, and sometimes it didn't.  When my first book was published in 2000 I began receiving invitations from various denominational leaders to speak to their small church leaders, and I always enjoy these gatherings.

It's been fascinating to see how these leaders responded to the opportunity to attend a session devoted specifically to their needs.  In some cases, very few attended the session.  In fact, at one meeting no one showed up, and the sponsors and I returned to our motel rooms early that evening.  At other times there have been large turnouts.  The most remarkable story I heard came from a group of pastors I was eating lunch with one day in the midst of a day-long conference.  They told me they had driven nine hours one way to attend the meeting!  The next year their denomination invited me to lead the same conference at a setting near where these people were from, and they were back the second year.

The thing I enjoy so much about these meetings is the opportunity to speak into the lives of those who attend.  Because I served as a bivocational pastor for 20 years I understand some of the challenges and frustrations they face.  Along with the practical material I share with them, I also offer them encouragement and affirmation.  For some of them, the latter two are the most important things they receive from these meetings.

I currently offer several workshops and conferences.  Each of them have been developed for an all-day session (six hours), a half-day session (three hours), or for a workshop (one hour).  The titles I offer are

• The Healthy Small Church  (My most requested one)
• Transforming the Small Church from Maintenance-Minded to Missional
• The Healthy Pastor: Easing the Stresses of Ministry
• Bivocational Ministry for the 21st Century
• Church Hospitality: Turning First-Time Guests into Disciples
• Coaching Bivocational Ministers for Greater Ministry Effectiveness (This is primarily for judicatory leaders who want to use coaching techniques to assist their bivocational ministers.)

Each of these are based upon some of the books I've published and contain practical ideas that small church leaders can implement in their churches.  In every session I hear repeatedly from pastors that I must have visited their churches because I've described them perfectly.  There is not a lot of theory in these sessions.  Instead we focus on real world situations and offer solutions for how to best address them.

I have led these sessions for the Southern Baptist Convention, the American Baptist Churches, the General Baptists, the Atlantic Baptist Mission, the Salvation Army, the United Methodist Church, the Church of the Nazarene, the Wesleyan Church, and at leadership conferences hosted by various universities.  If you feel that one of these sessions might be helpful to your bivocational and small church leaders, please feel free to contact me.  My 2014 calendar is filling up fast, but there are still some open dates this fall and winter, and it's not too early to be thinking about 2015.

Many churches need revitalization

I've been thinking about the situation many of our churches are in today.  We are told that 75-80 percent of our churches are plateaued or declining.  In my opinion, the majority of those churches are in decline.  On a life-cycle, the plateau area is a very small section so I believe most of these churches would be on the decline side of that life-cycle.  Depending on who you read, between 4,000-5,000 churches close their doors each year in the United States.  Most, but not all, of these troubled churches are smaller churches.

Each of these churches began as a vision someone had of starting a church in that location.  That vision was shared with others until a church was formed.  People's lives in those communities were changed because of the ministries these churches offered.  Perhaps those ministries are no longer needed in some of those communities as people have left, but in the vast majority of cases there is still a need for these churches.

That need is compounded even more when one looks at the spiritual condition of our nation.  We are a nation that has turned its back on biblical values and the historic teaching of the church.  We are a nation that values diversity over truth.  Every philosophy and religious belief is given equal status and respect...except Christianity.  The moral teachings of Scripture are ridiculed and ignored, and the result has been tragic to our nation and to our families.  We are in desperate need of a spiritual revival in America, and that revival cannot happen unless it first happens in our churches.

Revitalization cannot occur in a church until it first sees its need for such revitalization, and that begins with the church understanding why it is there in the first place.  Church leaders must capture a fresh vision from God for its future purpose and how it can begin to impact its community again.  It doesn't matter what the original vision was 50 years ago or 200 years ago when the church began.  What matters is what is God wanting to do in and through your church in 2014 and beyond.  If you can discern that you can then determine if you are willing to make whatever changes will be required to fulfill that purpose.

Do not be naive at this point...changes will have to be made.  If your church has been in a plateaued or declining state changes will have to occur if your church is to be revitalized.  If what you've been doing hasn't been working, what makes you think it will work in the future?  Change will have to occur.  You may not like some of those changes, but it's not about you...is it?  If any needed changes has to pass your litmus test before you can approve them then accept the fact that your church will continue to decline as long as you live or until it decides that it would rather please God than you.

Revitalization will require courage and sacrifice from both the pastoral and lay leadership.  It will force the church to go into uncharted territory and begin to live out a new story, but it will be a story of God at work in new ways through the ministries of your church.  It may require changes in how your church is structured.  It may require new alliances between your church and other churches and/or organizations.  It may require changes that cannot even be contemplated right now, but if they bring us into the place where God can begin to use us once again, those changes will be worth it.

A number of denominations and judicatories have persons on staff to assist their churches with revitalization efforts.  You may want to contact them to ask for their assistance.  Other organizations such as Acts 29 are working with churches as they begin to look at renewing themselves.  There is help out there for your church so you do not have to do this by yourself.

If your church is one of the 75-80 percent, it's time to stop hoping things will turn around and get better.  Hope is not a strategy.  It's time to become intentional about revitalizing your church.  Pray about what God would have you to do.  Invite a partner to help you through the process.  Begin to take the hard steps to bring renewal to your church, and when such renewal comes you will then be able to bring renewal to your community.

The most critical time in the life of a small church

After spending 20 years as the bivocational pastor of a small church and the past 13 years as a leader in our judicatory often working with smaller churches I have decided the most critical time in the life of a small church is the time they spend between pastors.  This is a time that should be spent in reflection as they review their history and look towards the future.  It is a time to discern a fresh vision from God regarding their future ministry.  The selection of their next pastor is a critical decision that will largely determine whether or not that vision is fulfilled, and the person they call will shape their congregation for good or bad for years to come.  Unfortunately, many churches do not use this time wisely and end up calling someone who is not a good fit for their church and/or does not have the gifts to lead their church towards their God-given vision.

Some smaller churches cannot stand to not have a pastor.  Their attitude seems to be that most people wouldn't want to come to their church so they will take the first person who shows an interest.  This usually does not end well for the church.   Sadly, many of these churches do not learn from their mistake, and when they begin the search for their next pastor they take the same approach...and they continue their downward spiral.

I have worked with some smaller churches that are unwilling to spend the money for a quality interim pastor who can help them become better prepared to call a pastor.  These churches view the interim time as an opportunity to build up their financial coffers.  They look for someone willing to preach for little salary so they can replenish their bank account.  As a result they lose the opportunity to have someone lead the reflection they need before calling a new pastor.  A good interim minister will have some skills that can be very valuable to a church in a pastoral transition, and these folks should be used as often as possible.

Some of these churches really do not want a pastor, or at least one who will provide leadership to the church.  These churches want a chaplain who will care for the flock.  They simply want someone to preach on Sundays, visit people in the hospital, and perform weddings and funerals.  A problem arises when the number of funerals continues to increase much faster than the number of weddings.

Everything rises and falls on leadership.  No church can be any healthier than its leadership, and this includes both pastoral and lay leadership.  A church will not be healthy and growing if it does not have a healthy, growing pastor who is willing and able to provide leadership to the church, and the church is willing to follow that leadership.

Equally important is that the pastor is a good cultural and spiritual match to the congregation.  I have seen too many short-term pastorates because the pastor and the congregation were not a good fit.  There is little excuse for this if the church has done proper reflection and has performed a quality search.  Smaller churches cannot afford short-term pastorates if they want to go to a higher level of ministry which makes this search process even more critical.

A final mistake I'll mention in this post is that some smaller churches fail to utilize the services of their judicatories.  Our region offers the services of our Resource Ministers to assist our churches in their pastoral searches, but some of our smaller churches refuse to use that assistance.  I'll be the first to admit that it is often not easy to find quality persons to serve in some smaller churches, but we do have some resources at our disposal that can help that process.  We have a process that we can give our churches to help them through the time of reflection, and we have persons who can provide quality interim ministry during the search process that we can recommend.  Call your judicatory and ask what resources they have available, and use them.

Remember - you are better off without a pastor than to call the wrong person to be your next pastor.  The search process may take longer than you would like, but if results in a better match it will be well worth the wait.

What door is God preparing to open in your life?

One of the benefits of living to a certain age is the opportunity to look back and see how things unfolded in your life.  I still remember the day in 1981 as if it was yesterday when Hebron Baptist Church voted unanimously to call me as their pastor.  I had no experience and no education beyond high school.  The only thing I did have was the absolute confidence God had called me to pastor a church.  Few churches would have called me as their pastor, but God led me to one that would.

Although bivocational ministry was not uncommon in those days, it was not widely respected by many denominational leaders and others in church leadership.  For 20 years I served that church as a bivocational pastor until I was called to a judicatory ministry position at least in part because of my experience with bivocational ministry.  Never did I think this ministry opportunity would present itself, but God opened the door.

Soon after beginning my pastoral ministry I decided that I needed some formal education if I was going to be a more effective minister.  Working a full-time job, pastoring a church, and raising a family did not lend itself to pursuing an education, but God opened a door that allowed me to attend a Bible school.  After completing that program he made it possible for me to continue my education allowing me to earn three degrees.  Even now I sometimes wonder how that happened, but I realize that God kept opening doors and I kept walking through them.

One of my frustrations as a pastor was the lack of resources specifically created for bivocational ministers.  Towards the end of my pastoral ministry I decided to try to write a book that would encourage bivocational ministers and present this ministry as a viable option that others should consider.  I had never attempted to write a book before, but I sat down and began to write.  A couple of years later that book was published becoming the first of eight books (so far) that I've published on bivocational and small church ministry.  God opened a door that gave me an opportunity to not only write but to lead workshops and conferences for bivocational and small church leaders for numerous denominational bodies.

I mention these things not to focus on what I've done with my life but to recognize that God is continually preparing us for doors he plans to open for us to walk through.  Scripture is clear that even before we are born God has a plan for our lives.  I sometimes wonder how many times God has opened a door for me that I refused to enter thus missing out on that opportunity he had for me.  How many times have I failed to prepare myself for an opportunity that God couldn't give me because I wasn't ready?

I also mention these things to encourage you to look for the doors God may be opening for you.  Too many of us limit ourselves by failing to take advantage of the opportunities God gives us.  We are presented with an opportunity but begin to make excuses why we couldn't possibly do that.  Have you ever been faced with a ministry opportunity that you turned down because you are "Just a bivocational minister?"  Do you spend more time looking at all the things you don't have than you do looking at what God has been doing in your life that may have prepared you for more responsibilities?  In one of the sermons I sometimes preach I remind the congregation that "God is more interested in your availability than in your capability."

Believe me that although I was excited about being called as the pastor of that small, rural church, I was also fearful because I didn't know if I could lead a church.  When I was asked to come on our region staff it was also a fearful time.  By then I knew I could pastor that church, but I had no idea about how well I could serve in this new role.  I know what you experience at times when God seems to be opening new doors for you, but if he is opening the door it means that he knows you are capable of performing the task.  If God is opening a door for you he just wants you to be available, and if you'll do that he'll make you capable.

Is God opening a door for you?

At what point is survival not enough?

One of the few questions the pastor search committee of the church that later called me asked was if I thought there was any hope for their church.  I should have followed that question with several of my own about the situation in that church, but I was too naïve to do so.  Only later did I learn that when the previous pastor resigned the church had discussed closing.  They decided to try one more pastor, and I was it.  I was there for twenty years, and the church is still doing well today.

However, today this is a question that many churches are asking.  Even if the question is not asked aloud some in the church are wondering if there is any future for their church.  I hear the question behind some of the responses I receive when assisting churches with their pastoral search.  I hear it when I visit with pastors and lay leaders.  The question is most evident when the church is clearly operating out of a survival mode.  I hurt for those churches that struggle with the fears that their church may not be there much longer, but I also believe that is not the question some of them should be asking.

A better question might be, "Has God called us to merely survive and keep the doors open as long as possible?"  We have many churches that are surviving only because faithful people in the past gave sacrificially and the church was able to put money into saving, but some of these churches are burning through those savings at a rapid rate.  How is that biblical stewardship?  Many of these churches are probably hoping for a last minute miracle that will keep their doors open, and if that miracle doesn't happen they will finally lock the doors for the last time when their endowments and savings run out.  Is that the best we can do with God's resources?

Would it not be better to give those resources, including the property, to a ministry that is doing good ministry in the community?  I know people have deep connections to their churches, and nobody wants to see a church close, but there comes a time when mere survival isn't enough.  If there is no vision for ministry, if there is no one left in the church with a passion for the unchurched that leads them to action, if there are no real leaders in a church, then it is time for that church to accept that its time has passed.  God is always raising up new ministries to replace those that are not longer on mission with him, and the most responsible thing some churches could do would be to provide whatever resources they have remaining to these new ministries.

This is not only for churches.  As I look at what is happening in many judicatories and denominations, I'm convinced that some of them are going to have to make hard choices in the future.  A couple of years ago I was scheduled to lead a small church conference for a United Methodist district.  A couple of months before the conference I was informed it was cancelled due to that district having been merged into another district.  This same thing is happening in other denominations as well, and I believe we will see this increase in the near future.  Many judicatory and denominational bodies have seen significant declines in financial support since the recent recession, and no one really expects that to improve any time soon.  Many of these groups have reduced staff and services, some to the point of offering very little support to their churches.  Maybe its time that these bodies face some tough facts and think about merging with other districts, regions, or conventions.

This is not admitting failure or defeat.  It is recognizing that the religious landscape has changed in America.  People expect different things from the church, and not every church can meet those expectations.  The role of denominations are changing as well, and not every denominational body will find it easy to adapt to those changes.  For churches, judicatories, and denominations to continue to operate as usual while depleting their finances and providing little, if any, real ministry to their constituents is wrong.  As leaders of these organizations we must realize we are accountable to God for our stewardship and refuse to settle for mere survival.

Small church conference

 



This past Saturday I had the privilege of speaking at a Small Church Conference in Massachusetts.  The Old Colony Baptist association had been planning this event for several months and did a great job of promoting it, bringing in workshop leaders, and arranging for an excellent event for small church leaders in that association and throughout Massachusetts.  Diane Badger and her team deserve a great round of applause as does the host church who was so hospitable and made the event even more enjoyable.  About 100 people participated in the conference, and the response I've seen on social media and from comments by the participants the day of the event have been very positive.

I frequently hear from bivocational and small church leaders that they want these kinds of events in their judicatories and often voice a great deal of frustration to me that they aren't scheduled more often.  Here was an example of an association that decided to not wait for someone else to schedule something they wanted.  They did it on their own, and the interesting thing is that when they did they found others who would come alongside and help with the funding and promotion.  They also opened it up to churches throughout their judicatory which allowed many more people to attend than would have if they had limited it to just their association.

These types of events could also be offered in conjunction with other events such as denominational annual and biennial meetings and the various national gatherings denominations hold.  One track at such events could be focused on bivocational and small church ministry with one or more speakers who would speak specifically to the leaders of those churches.  I've been fortunate in the past few years to lead workshops at a number of these types of events for several different denominations.  Most of them drew leaders from smaller churches who said they probably would not have attended the larger gathering if nothing had been offered specifically for them.

One of the things that is important for these types of events is to make sure that they are open to the lay leadership and not just pastoral leadership.  Several pastors who attended this recent Saturday event said that one of the things they appreciated was that their lay leaders who attended got to hear someone else say some things they had been trying to explain to their churches.  These pastors felt that this would make a difference in their churches as they went forward.

Many in denominational leadership recognize that the numbers of bivocational ministers are growing in their denominations.  They are very aware of the large numbers of smaller churches in their denominations that are led by both bivocational and fully-funded pastors, and they are also not blind to the fact that many of these smaller churches are doing good ministry.  But, too often we are still not providing these leaders and churches with the training opportunities focused on their needs that they need.  It's time we in judicatory and denominational leadership become much more intentional about providing those types of events.  I believe that if we do so we will find that it is an investment that will pay great returns.

Upcoming speaking engagements

This week I finalized plans for two speaking engagements in March.  The first is with the Old Colony Baptist Association in Massachusetts.  On March 15 they are hosting a conference called "Small Churches Big Possibilities."  I will be the keynote speaker that morning and will be speaking on "The Healthy Small Church."  That afternoon I will lead a workshop on "Transforming the Small Church from Maintenance-Minded to Missional."  In addition, there will be other workshops and a panel discussion on small church issues.  The conference is open to anyone in The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts.  For more information and registration go to http://oldcolonybaptist.org and click on Spring Meeting.

On March 27-29 I will be with the American Baptist Churches of Vermont and New Hampshire for a conference they are hosting.  Thursday evening and Friday I will be presenting a workshop on "The Healthy Pastor."  Saturday's session will address "Bivocational Ministry in the 21st Century."  Ministers in that region should look for promotional material to be coming soon.

It is very exciting to see judicatories offering training opportunities specifically designed for their smaller and bivocational churches.  As more of our marginally fully-funded churches transition to bivocational such opportunities will be even more important.  Not only are they needed for the ministers serving in those churches, they are also important for the lay leadership.  Significant changes occur in a church when it makes this transition, and many churches are not prepared for those changes which often creates problems.

I found it interesting that the four messages I have been asked to present at these events are the most popular workshops I offer.  That tells me there is still a need for this material.  If you are a denominational leader reading this and believe your smaller church leaders would benefit from one of these workshops, or others I offer, I would be glad to discuss presenting them to your leaders.  You can contact me through this blog.

For the bivocational and small church ministers reading this, when your denomination, judicatory, or association does offer this kind of training, be sure to take advantage of it.  For many years those of us in small church leadership had very few training opportunities specifically for us. and many of us got out of the habit of attending any training that was offered.  If your regional or district leadership does offer something like this please make every effort to attend.  Future events often depend on the attendance at the ones that were offered, so you can help ensure more training in the future by attending the events that are offered today.

I hope to see a great turn-out at these two events and look forward to seeing many of the readers of this blog at them. 

Walking the talk about change

In his excellent book, Leading at a Higher Level, Revised and Expanded Edition: Blanchard on Leadership and Creating High Performing Organizations, Ken Blanchard writes that "It is estimated that a leader's actions are at least three times as important as what he or she says...The minute that associates or colleagues sense that their leader is not committed or is acting inconsistently with the desired behaviors of the change, they will no longer commit themselves to the effort."  Leaders should always walk the talk, but it becomes even more critical to do so when their organization is going through a change.  Failing to do so eliminates any chance that others in the organization will be committed to the change process ensuring the failure of the change effort.

As I reflected on Blanchard's words I thought of the many churches that have attempted changes in the past few years and how many of those change efforts simply didn't go anywhere.  In some of the churches of which I am familiar at least part of that failure was the result of the leaders not demonstrating through their actions that they were committed to the change.  In some cases, it was the pastoral leadership while in other churches it was the lay leadership.  As the church members saw their leaders acting inconsistently with the changes being promoted they soon lost any interest in the change themselves.  Every organization will strongly attempt to return to what it knows throughout a change effort until that change becomes part of the DNA of the church, and if the leaders do not demonstrate a 100 percent commitment to the change through their actions that organization will return very quickly to its previous state.

I see the same thing happening in judicatories and denominations.  I regularly hear from bivocational pastors who tell me their judicatory leaders speak of their commitment to bivocational ministry, but their actions indicate that commitment is very limited.  Their judicatories offer no specific training for its bivocational leadership.  What training is offered usually occurs during the day when the bivocational ministers are at their other jobs.  There is little recognition of bivocational leadership in the official publications of the judicatory, and bivocational leadership is seldom showcased at the regular gatherings of the judicatory.

Many denominations are going through difficult times right now, and there is much talk of the need for significant changes to occur to help make these denominations more viable.  However, there often seems to be much more talk than action.  Boards are sometimes reduced to make them smaller and quicker to respond to the needs of their churches, but in reality there seems to be little difference in how these boards operate.  I doubt that a casual observer would say that they are responding any quicker now that they are smaller than when they were larger.  There are still the bureaucratic hoops to jump through.  Bylaws are not changed to make the boards more responsive to the rapid changes occurring in society.  It often appears that any changes that are occurring at the denominational level amounts to little more than re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.  No matter how the chairs are arranged, the ship is still going down, and no matter what surface changes these denominations make, people and churches are still becoming less and less dependent upon them.

Let me approach this issue from one more perspective: the family.  I cannot understand why parents criticize their children for the poor choices they make when those children have watched their parents make the same poor choices throughout their lives.  A single parent who lives with his or her lover should not be surprised when their child become sexually active.  That child is simply playing Follow the Leader.  A parent who spends time at the bar has no reason to complain when their child becomes involved in drugs.  A parent who lies to others should expect to have a child who will lie to the parent.  Children learn through observation, and if they see their parents engaged in activities that have no consequences they will be more likely to engage in those same activities.

It does not matter what type of organization you lead, as a leader it is critical that your walk matches your talk if you want others to take you seriously.  It you are trying to lead a change process in your organization, that match becomes even more critical or you will soon learn that no one is following you.  And, if you have no followers, then by definition you are no longer a leader.

How will the small church be impacted by our wilderness journey?

In yesterday's post I referred my readers to Journey in the Wilderness: New Life for Mainline Churches by Gil Rendle.  This book compares where the church is today with the wilderness journey Moses and Israelites were on for 40 years.  Near the end of the book he specifically addresses the fate of the smaller church during this wilderness time.  Regarding the small church he predicts, "The small church as we know it will diminish and be reduced in numbers while a new form of small church will emerge and seek a different relationship to other congregations and denominations."

Rendle notes there are three threats to small churches today: location, economics, and a generation gap.  Many of our smaller churches were built in rural areas and small villages to provide reasonable access to people.  Today, fewer people live in those areas which makes it difficult for these small churches to attract new people.  With reduced numbers of people economics becomes a problem which is often compounded by the mindset that every church must have its own pastor and its own building.  Many of these buildings have not been well maintained due to decreasing funds.  One day the church will find that it cannot avoid long-neglected repairs any longer, and the bill for those repairs may be overwhelming.  The final issue is the generation gap that exists in many churches.  Smaller churches find it very difficult to attract and serve the four or five generations that now exist in many families.  We have long complained about the "greying" of our churches, and that has not changed much for the past few decades.  Many of our older, smaller churches are made up primarily of the oldest two generations and a scattering of small children brought there by their grandparents.  There is an obvious generation or two missing in many of these churches will does not bode well for their future.

However, this does not mean an end to the smaller church.  While many smaller churches may well close in the next few years, others will rise up to replace them.  There is something appealing to the younger adult populations about small congregations.  Many of them will prefer the smaller church to the mega-church, but these smaller churches will not look like the small churches of today.  They will be much more missional and outward focused than the often inward-focused small church we often find today.  Many of these smaller churches will not seek a building but will be willing to meet in people's homes.  They may not meet regularly on Sunday mornings but find other times more in line with the schedules of the participants.  Their leadership is likely to come from within their congregation.  There will be less emphasis on formal seminary education and ordination and much more interest in one's call to ministry and ability to do ministry.  I believe the majority of these churches will be led by bivocational ministers.  It may well be that there is not a solo pastor in these churches but a shared leadership.

If we think churches today are pulling away from denominations, we are likely to find these smaller churches of the future even more distant from historic denominations.  They will form their own independent networks of like-minded congregations, some of which may one day become new denominations.  Any relationship these churches have with established denominations will be on their terms which will be a challenge to the denominations. This will require those denominations to rethink their purpose, the way they relate to churches, their views and requirements about ordination, and their views on what constitutes a church.  Rendle predicts, and I agree, that the denominations that make this transition well will be smaller in size and much less structured that they are today.

One cannot enter the wilderness and come out the same.  Churches and denominations are going to look much different when they come out of the wilderness than they were when they went in.  The ones who insist that everything must remain the same will perish in the wilderness, and God will raise up a new generation to enter into the Promised Land.  As I said yesterday, this is not an easy book to read but one that church and denominational leaders need to read if they want to better understand what is happening in the church today and what the future holds for the church of tomorrow.

How does one lead through the wilderness?

In the past few staff meetings we have discussed Gil Rendle's book Journey in the Wilderness: New Life for Mainline Churches.  Rendle compares this time in which we are doing ministry to the wilderness journey of Moses and the Israelites.  We are at a time when many of the old answers no longer work, but we aren't real sure what does work.  In reality, this has been true for the past several years, but many of us are still trying to minister as though nothing has changed in society and the church since the 1950s.  We are still looking for that one denominational program that will solve our problems.  Churches are still trying to find that special pastor who will come in and return their church to what it was in the 1950s, without upsetting anyone of course.  Pastors will try to be the person with all the answers for their congregation.  Folks, it's time for a reality check.  It's not working and hasn't worked for the past few decades.  Like the Israelites, we have been wandering in the wilderness with the Promised Land just out of reach.

Rendle writes, "The best of our denominational and congregational leaders do not understand themselves as caretakers of an inherited institution experiencing weakness.  The best of our leaders begin to dream of what could be, challenge the weakness of the stories that hold us back, and then engage people in conversations about the new future."  Why is this so important?  As he later writes, "Most congregations with which I have worked as a consultant knew much more about who they were than about who they currently are."

There it is.  My experience in working with churches has been the same.  Most of the churches with which I work not only know their history, they love it, and would like nothing better than to return to that time.  Again, how many times did the Israelites want to return to Egypt even though they were slaves there?  At least, in slavery there was order and a sense of knowing where one was.  In the wilderness there is chaos and confusion.

The problem is, our churches cannot return to that glorious past (which may not have been that glorious anyway).  Our culture won't allow it.  More importantly, neither will God.  He has brought us into the wilderness because that is the only way to prepare us for his purposes.  The wilderness is a time of testing and an opportunity to learn new things about ourselves and about God.  It is also the only way to the Promised Land.  The choices we have is to try to return to Egypt (which is not going to happen), continue to wander in the wilderness until this generation is gone (which many churches will do), or to embrace the wilderness time and the resulting chaos, learn the lessons God wants us to learn, and, in his time, enter the Promised Land.

I have to admit I found this book to be a difficult read, but I believe it is an important read for anyone in denominational and church leadership.  I prefer to provide answers to technical problems that will fix things, and this book challenges me that this approach is no longer sufficient.  Even though I recognized the truths about the church found in this book it still made me uncomfortable, but that is what the wilderness is supposed to do. 

Bivocational workshops in Michigan

On September 14 I was privileged to lead a couple of workshops at the Church Equipping Conference for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan.  The workshops I presented were "Transitioning Your Church to Be More Effective" and "Time Management for Bivocational Ministers."  Each were presented twice that day.  Jeff Iorg, President of Golden Gate Theological Seminary was the plenary speaker, and following that service we broke up into the various workshops scheduled for the day.  George Fountain, Bivocational Pastoral Consultant for the BSCM, was the person who initially contacted me about coming, and I want to thank him for the opportunity.  I never heard an official total for the event, but during lunch I did overhear someone estimating there were over 400 people attending this conference.  Judging from the attendance in my workshops a number of those persons were bivocational ministers or lay leaders in bivocational churches.  It was truly a great day.

In an event like this there is often not a lot of time available between workshops.  I think there was about a 15 minute gap between sessions which did not give the presenters and attendees much time to interact between sessions.  However, I was struck by some of the comments I heard as people were leaving my workshops and by e-mails I later received.  This was especially true regarding the "Time Management for Bivocational Ministers" workshop.  It became clear to me that this workshop was really needed by some of those who attended it.  At least one was about ready to leave the ministry because of the stress he was feeling as a bivocational minister.  Another thanked me for a personal story I shared in that workshop, and I felt from his words and the look on his face that it spoke to a challenge he was feeling in his own life.

I want to commend the Baptist State Convention of Michigan for recognizing the value bivocational ministers bring to their churches and for ensuring that their conference offered opportunities for those pastors to come together for fellowship and instruction.  I hear from so many bivocational leaders that they feel ignored or abandoned by their regional and denominational leaders.  George Fountain and the other leaders in the BSCM are making sure their pastors do not feel that way.  May their tribe increase!

Bivocational ministry is tough, and those whom God has called to this ministry needs all the support they can receive.  We in denominational leadership must make sure that we provide them with the instruction and encouragement and support they need to fulfill God's call on their lives.  As the numbers of bivocational ministers continue to climb in virtually every denomination, this support will become even more critical in the future.

For those pastors (both bivocational and fully-funded) who feel overwhelmed by all the demands on their lives, you must find ways to bring your life and ministry into a proper balance.  I know that is not easy.  Believe me, I know.  But, your life, your family, and your ministry depends on you doing that.  Find a workshop that will help you do that.  Talk to other pastors who seem to have been able to do that and ask how they've done it.  Read books and articles that address this.  I've written two that can help you get control of your time:  The Healthy Pastor: Easing the Pressures of Ministry and my newest book The Art and Practice of Bivocational Ministry: A Pastor's Guide. I'm not recommending these just to sell books but because I care about your well-being, and I know first-hand what happens when a bivocational minister doesn't practice good self-care.  Let me know if I can be of any help to you.

What do bivocational ministers want?

My newest book is scheduled for release on October 1.  The title is The Art and Practice of Bivocational Ministry: A Pastor's Guide.  This book comes out of my doctoral thesis work that looked at how coaching can be a useful tool to help bivocational ministers address some of the challenges they face.  The final chapter was written specifically for denominational and judicatory leaders who work with bivocational ministers.  It focuses on what these leaders need to know about their bivocational ministers and how they can best help them.  The topics addressed in this chapter are:

• Bivocational ministers feel called to bivocational ministry.  For most this is not option 2.  They feel specifically called to be bivocational ministers, and they want that call affirmed by others.
• Bivocational ministers feel isolated.  It is hard for them to attend denominational events that are often scheduled during a weekday or to even meet with other pastors in the same association.  As a judicatory leader I know it is much easier to schedule a meeting with a fully-funded pastor because we can usually meet for breakfast, lunch, or at the church office.  One must be much more intentional to arrange a meeting with a bivocational minister, and too often such meetings do not happen leading to that sense of isolation.
• Bivocational ministers want relevant training.  Although some have a seminary education, many do not.  Today there are many ways to provide such training, and I am convinced this is something that denominations need to intentionally address.  The chapter discusses several ways these ministers can get the training they need and want.
• Bivocational ministers want to live balanced lives.  Almost everyone in bivocational ministry struggles with time issues.  Many of them need help in time management and need permission to be able to say no to the unrealistic expectations others might have of them.  They also need us to begin to educate congregations about what they can expect from a bivocational minister.
• Bivocational ministers are an asset to your churches.  Every denominational leader with whom I've spoken in recent years have told me the numbers of bivocational ministers are growing, and they expect that to continue.  The good news is that studies show that these ministers provide very effective ministry to their churches.  They deserve our support and affirmation.

The chapters leading up to this final chapter examine bivocational ministry and the benefits they can receive from having a relationship with a ministry coach.  The book includes ten case studies of bivocational ministers I have coached and how we addressed the issues they presented during our relationship.  Those issues are very common to bivocational and most fully-funded ministers.  I believe the ministers reading this book will find some answers to some of the challenges they face.

You can pre-order The Art and Practice of Bivocational Ministry: A Pastor's Guide from amazon.com for only $11.24.

Advocating for the needs of bivocational pastors

Seldom does a week go by that I do not receive a call from a pastor who's struggling and considering leaving the ministry.  Many of these pastors are bivocational, but some are fully-funded.  The two things they all share in common is a general frustration with ministry and weariness.  Some are contemplating leaving the ministry entirely because of the frustrations.  Others wonder if they just need to find a different church to serve.  These are not easy, simple questions to answer, and they are not questions I can answer for them either.  Such calls require me to put on my coaching cap and help them find the answers for themselves.

A lot of the frustration often centers around the limited time they have for themselves and their families.  Others in the church can go to a ball game on Sunday or to the beach, but they are expected to be at church.  They understand that expectation, but they also know their family needs some time to do things as well.  Being a pastor really limits what one can do on the weekends, and if that pastor is bivocational there's not a lot of opportunities to do things during the week either.  Here is where I usually ask how many weeks of vacation the church gives them, and how much of that vacation time they actually take. Most of the bivocational ministers tell me they get two weeks.  I then ask if they've ever had a sabbatical.  Some answer my question by asking what a sabbatical is while others just laugh at the suggestion.  They assure me their church would never give them a paid sabbatical because it would cost too much.

As a resource minister in our region I speak often with the churches in my area, especially when they are seeking new pastor leadership.  One of the things I am trying to get the churches to realize is that the least expensive thing they can give their pastors is time away.  Every church, and I mean every church, should be giving their pastors four weeks vacation.  Yes, I mean when that pastor first comes on the field, not after he's been there ten years or more.  What will that actually cost the church?  Very little.  The church budget is already set, and the pastor's salary is determined.  What difference does it make if he or she is there 50 weeks a year or 48?  It will still be the same salary.  Most of the small churches in my area pay $75.00 - $150.00 for someone to fill the pulpit when the pastor is away so the only real cost to the church for the pastor to get four weeks vacation instead of two weeks will be another $150.00 - $300.00 a year.  If the church can't afford that it needs to shut its doors and stop playing church.

The same math applies for sabbaticals.  I have yet to talk to a bivocational pastor, and few fully-funded ones, who have not told me their church couldn't afford to give them a three month paid sabbatical.  Let's use the same figures, and for the sake of simplicity we'll just assume the church will pay $100.00 a week for someone to fill the pulpit while the pastor is on sabbatical.  Three months is 13 weeks which is $1,300.00.  Again, the pastor's salary is already in the budget so him being paid while on sabbatical doesn't change that at all.  We're talking about $1,300.00 every seven years to give the pastor a breather and to allow him or her to relax and come back refreshed.  Again, if that will break your church it's probably time to consider closing.

Sometimes when I urge churches to do these two things for their pastors I have people push back by saying something like, "We all work, and none of us gets three months off with pay every seven years.  Why should our pastor get that?"  My response is always, "Because none of you are on call 24/7/365.  You go into work, and when your shift is over you go home and do whatever you want.  You're not called out at 2:00 am to go to the hospital or to talk with someone who is suicidal.  No matter what your pastor is doing, he or she is still the pastor of your church with all the responsibilities that entails.  That is a lot of pressure, and that extra two weeks vacation and sabbatical is a way to help him or her unwind from that pressure."

I firmly believe that one reason pastors leave their churches to seek another place to serve is that it is the only way they can get away from their pastoral responsibilities for a brief time.  It is the only way they can spend a fun weekend with their families without having to worry about what's happening at the church or feeling guilty about being away.  Maybe, pastors would not be so tempted to leave if they knew they had some extra vacation time and an upcoming sabbatical to look forward to.

Most pastors struggle advocating these things for themselves, and as a former pastor I understant that.  This is why, as a judicatory worker, I am willing to advocate for them.  In my opinion, this needs to become a priority for other denominational workers.  We need to speak up for our pastors, both bivocational and fully-funded, to help them get the time away from ministry that will help them enjoy a healthier ministry, better family relationships, and practice better self-care.