Death By Ministry
I saw this on Mark Driscolls blog...shocking stats indeed!
2. How healthy are pastors and their families?
At our 2006 Reform and Resurge Conference in Seattle, my good friend Pastor Darrin Patrick from The Journey in Saint Louis (www.journeyon.net) spoke frankly of the burden that pastoral ministry is. He presented the following statistics, which he gathered from such organizations as Barna (www.barna.org), Maranatha Life (www.maranathalife.com) and Focus on the Family (www.family.org).
Pastors
Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
Fifty percent of pastors' marriages will end in divorce.
Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression.
Almost forty percent polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry.
Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons.
Pastors' Wives
Eighty percent of pastors' spouses feel their spouse is overworked.
Eighty percent of pastors' spouses wish their spouse would choose another profession.
The majority of pastors’ wives surveyed said that the most destructive event that has occurred in their marriage and family was the day they entered the ministry.
posted by Dale Callahan at 5:56 AM
5 Comments:
Hi, Dale. Here I am, trying to leave a comment.
Hi Jamie,
You accomplished your goal bro, you made it through...I don't know what's wrong with this thing...it is hard to get in...even for me.
Hi Dale, makes me wonder if the role of preaching and teaching elders shouldn't be a more common thing. Could that be a solution to this?
Gak! Please don't tell me all the stats... [Just kidding.] my Dad is a preacher in Alberta. It was kind of difficult for me to read, [as I was previously in the dark as to these stats], but do keep writing! Thanks for the information... I always enjoy your blog postings. :) Keep posting!! :)
Erin S.
Grande Prairie, AB
Dear Steve and Alison,
I think we also need to get a better understanding of Ephesians 4, where the pastors and teachers are instruments that the Lord uses to build up the congregation, so that they can minister to one another...instead of running the pastor off his feet doing all the ministering.
Post a Comment
<< Home