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What if …
In my lifetime I have seen many union strikes and their impact from many perspectives from airline workers, teachers, air traffic controllers, medical care workers, and telecommunications workers, to name a few. What do you think would be the impact on American churches if 4 out of ten pastors quit the ministry this month?
The truth is… this could happen as 40% of the pastors surveyed through Focus on the Family reported thinking about leaving their pastorates in the past three months! (Source: Pastors at Risk, H.B. London, Jr. & Neil B. Wiseman, Victor Books, 1993, page 35.)
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- Reality Check (continued):
- 80% believe pastoral ministry is negatively affecting their families.
- 40% of pastors say they work more hours now than they did five years ago.
- 75% reported having a significant crisis because of stress at least once every five years.
- 70% say they have no one to consider as a close friend.
- 70% say they have a lower self-image than when they began pastoring.
- 40% say they have a serious conflict with a church member at least once per month.
- 1,500 pastors leave the ministry each month (18,000 a year!). Two of the top reasons are moral failure and spiritual burnout.
- Pastors move a lot . . . 4,000 new churches will begin each year, 7,000 will close.
- 50% of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they had any other way to make a living.
- 80% of seminary and Bible students who enter the ministry will leave within five years.
- 80% of pastors' wives feel their husbands are overworked.
- 85% of pastors say their greatest problem is they are sick and tired of dealing with problem people (Many pastors list their staff among the problem people).
- Almost 40% polled admitted to an extramarital affair since beginning their ministry.
- 50% of pastors' marriages will end in divorce.
(Sources: Dan Reiland, The Pastor’s Coach, John C. LaRue, Christianity Today, Arch Hart, Fuller Theological Seminar, Lifelines Newsletter a LifeWay Publication, Faith Communities Today, Barna Research Online, Leadership Journal, The Alban Institute, and Focus on the Family)
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