A person I know through the community which is called "virtual" gave up his position as pastor the other day. Below is a part of the statement that he made on his blog that caught my attention. This is sad news to me...as it most likely will be for many of you. The issues in ministry today are complex...the ministry "playing field" has changed...Christianity is no longer in a culturally "favored" status...leaders of congregations are struggling with how to be relevant to the many circumstances that surround them...economic realities are making a huge impact...and the expectations of congregations are often out of synche with how a pastor feels about their own ministry calling. Add to that the immense pressure that is occurring as our congregations become more and more influenced by the cultural value of consumerism, people's obsession with superficial entertainment/voyuerism, the rise of mega-ministries, and a pop-cultural religious system that resembles more the classic definition of syncretism than an adherence to the familiar Judean- Christian ethos and you have a growing sense of desperation within local churches. I feel deeply for discouraged pastors...I've been there myself. If it wasn't for the encouragement that I feel from people close to me who also are "in the trenches" and the empowerment of the Spirit of God in my heart, it would be easy to join the ranks of the discouraged and "soon to be" resigning.
Read the following remarks if you have a few minutes...how would you respond to a "friend" in ministry who feels this way? What do you do to battle discouragement and fear? How do we enter into a leadership community in such a way that we become "more than conquerors" and not one more addition to a growing statistic? Let me know your thoughts...rdugall@apu.edu.
"I’ve left the professional ministry. I was ordained 25 years ago. I was a student minister before that. It has been a long hard haul. But I’ve gradually come to the realization that I can no longer work inside of the system. I no longer seem to fit within the institution. This is not to say that I don’t believe in the church. I absolutely do. But my relationship to the organization has definitely changed…I believe in the right and the importance of Christians to gather…but it’s the bad stuff that creeps in and clings to the gathering that I’ve always been critical of. One of the most deadly influences on a community is agenda. In my opinion, it should be enough to gather together to study the bible, pray, worship and fellowship. It’s when people desire more that things to go awry. To come without an agenda, without a goal, without a dream, without a vision for the church is most difficult. But this is the only way a church will live in a healthy manner. Visionary thinking, fantasizing, kills the church. Even the slightest bit of fantasizing for the church, like a little leaven, will affect the whole lump. It must be renounced entirely."
Wow...my heart aches for this person. It seems to me this is someone who would be happy if nothing ever changed. I don't believe it's enough to gather together to study the bible, pray, worship and fellowship. Those leave little room for reaching out to save the lost. And to live without a dream.....I cannot fathom it. In fact, I would venture to say that to live without a dream for the church is not healthy at all. Didn't Jesus say that we would do these and greater things still? He never said it would be easy, but He also said he wouldn't give us more than what He knows we can handle....with Him by our side. Prayers for your friend.
ReplyDeleteThe person writing the above words is in the midst of deep emotions of grief, anger and disillusionment and may not be ready for a discussion on "agenda" and "visionary thinking." As is the case with many of us when we are battling such emotions we might over-state the truth a bit.
ReplyDeleteYes people have "agendas" meaning ideas and attitudes about what is best for them and by projection the church. The closer they are to the person's core the more strongly they are held. The writer also had an agenda for the congregation which was Bible study, prayer, worship and fellowship. Without saying more about those terms I would guess that many in the congregation included those emphases in their own agendas. A further guess is that their agenda wasmay have been for Bible study but short and entertaining; Prayer that added a touch of solemnity and touched upon human needs, but didn't go on too long; worship that didn't ask too much of them yet touched their hearts so that they felt a connection with the divine and fellowship that focused on them, without asking that they take the first step.
I would say that Jesus' ministry was a clash of agendas from start to finish, from the hometown folk wishing that he would do there, among his own, what he had done in Capernaum, to Caiphas' advice that it was more expedient that one man die, than the whole nation, to Herod who was hoping to see a few miracles. Judas of course had his own agenda as did Peter.
They were the wish dreams of what they thought was from God and best for them.
I hear the cry of anguish from the resigned pastor as "where is God's agenda?" I would answer that it is moving on its pre-determined course and continues to unfold. It is also unfolding in the life of that resigned pastor who may be angry with God like Jeremiah, or weeping over the institutions like Jesus over Jerusalem. Perhaps the grief of the disciples on the road to Emmaus,expresses the grief of this pastor as it does for many clergy, "We had hoped..." indicating that their vision/agenda to make things right in Israel(church) was shattered.
I am encouraged that this pastor still wants to gather, pray and worship, so that he doesn't miss the thing God is doing, as did Thomas for a week. Yes, it's a group that presents a sorry picture at times but it seems to be Christ's agenda to reveal himself more often there than elsewhere. And even when we come with our agendas like Thomas, "Unless I see and touch..."
the amazing thing is that as Jesus accomodates to them, they rapidly become less important.
Keith and Patti - thanks for joining in our conversation...I like what Keith said about the Emmaus road..."we had hoped"...that captures the shattered vision of what the man seems to be feeling...I only pray that the Lord Jesus will reveal Himself to him in a healing way. More to come...
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