Pastor, Why Are You Leaving?
I served in the Marines for 17 years, and I understand all too well the drive and desire to move up in the ranks, to get to that higher position of authority. In 10 years, I achieved the rank of Gunnery Sergeant, E-7 and had traveled half the world, always looking for something new. In the corporate world, CEO's move all the time, from company to company, making names for themselves and always looking for that bigger company to run and to take to the next level. My point is, that this way of being is common in the world; we admire the traits of ambition and drive. The fry cook at McDonalds often has aspirations of greater things and does not usually plan to remain the fry cook for life. Whether it's for something bigger, better or just different, career changes happen often and I'm not arguing against that as long as those who are Christian do so without ruining their Christian witness. By all means, seek to be the next president, CEO, or McDonalds manager for the glory of God. But the question is, should this be the same mindset of pastors?
I believe the answer is no. I want to acknowledge that I could be wrong, but I want to give a few reasons for why I have arrived at this conclusion. Over the last few years I've seen pastors leave congregations for many reasons, including myself. Because of social media, I've seen much of this from a distance, so I want to be clear that I'm not imputing motive to anyone. Rather, I’m asking all of us to check our hearts because as pastors, we are not above sinful motives and slipping into worldliness. As I look to re-enter pastoral ministry in 2020, I'm having to wrestle with my own heart and motives. I want to ensure that I guard the deposit entrusted me and fight the good fight of the faith. So, here are some of the reasons why I believe we cannot treat pastoral ministry as just another job.
First, when I look at all the qualifications for Elders in scripture here's what I see. First, that there is a requirement for pastors to be in relationship with their congregants. Not a relationship in which we are FaceBook friends and I happen to like many of your posts. Rather, that you can see into my life and I can see into yours. That you know my family, what happens around my dinner table, how my kids behave, how I love my wife and on and on the list goes. These qualifications today are hardly taken seriously and have instead been replaced with a list of qualifications much more suited for a manager or CEO than a pastor. But the differences are important because a CEO can be plug and play, meaning that with a CEO results are what ultimately determines how long one stays or goes and we can continue replacing the person without much consideration as to what's going on at home until the results we desire begin to take place. Many CEO's and heads of organizations have ruined their families to achieve what they have, and the stockholders were most likely not complaining.
But, the pastor, if he is to really be known, and know his congregation, that takes time and effort. As these relationships become more intertwined, a genuine affection and connection develops. A true love for one another and a genuine view of family. How do you just leave family? When the Lord first saved me, one of the first things He reordered in my life was my understanding of family, and suddenly it hurt to be apart from my own. As pastors, if we view our congregations as family, I believe the only way we would leave is if there was absolutely no other way to stay. This takes time, and yet today I have seen pastors in and out of churches in less than three years. I'm not saying that they have not made connections, but let’s face it, three years is nothing when we look at the big picture. If we are coming into a position knowing in three years I'll be looking for something else, then what kind of investment are we really making?
Secondly, there is a warning to pastors in 1st Peter chapter 5 that I think we must take very seriously and consider. Peter says we are to "Shepherd the flock of God that is among us... not for shameful gain", not every pastor who leaves is guilty of this, but I am sure many of us are. That the real reason some look to leave a current position is because we want the bigger church, healthier (whatever that means) congregation or ministry, a bigger platform, or more power or authority over how things are run. If that is the reason, it's clear that God says absolutely no to this. Our ministry is not about our position, but is all about making much of God and leading the people He's given us to shepherd. We are not CEOs looking for the next big corporation to take to the next level, or Marines looking for the next promotion! This is the most dangerous reasoning, and the one that worries me most, even in my own heart. It's easy to look around at our celebrity driven culture and begin to desire all those things, but we must not allow our flesh to get the better of us and instead we must trust that God knows what He's doing and perhaps the bigger platform or different city is not what He wants.
Lastly, we are called to be examples to the flock, and in so doing, we are to follow Christ's example. Consider Paul's words in Philippians 2, where we are called to have the same mind as Christ, "who though He was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant." We are above all, servants of God and His people. We use the term in the Church, servant leaders, but who are we serving when we are still chasing the desires of our own heart? The call to Christ is a call to die to self, and I can't help but think that for many of us pastors, that call to die is lost, and we tend to place our own ambitions outside of this call. We find ways of excusing our ambitions by trying to give godly excuses. "I can serve more people," "I can have a bigger kingdom impact," or something along those lines. But just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. We are to be as submitted to Christ, or even more so, as we expect our people to be. If we are honest, often we have sinful ambitions that have a lot more to do with exalting ourselves, then exalting Christ. Humility requires we die to those ambitions. Christ will build His church whether you take that next position or not.
I want to add one caveat to this blog, which I think is necessary. Part of the reason we have this trend of pastors moving around is because we've largely departed from a biblical model of church governance. Most churches are led by a "senior" pastor, with several pastors serving in different roles. Eventually those other pastors will disagree with the senior pastor, and that leads to splits, and other issues that require pastors to leave. This was my situation and the situation of others I know. This does not justify my leaving though, it just means we need to get back to a biblical understanding of church governance, where the church is led by a plurality of Elders working together submitted only to the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
So there you have it, I do think there are several other reasons that can be considered but this is long enough! In my humble opinion, pastors should seek to shepherd one flock, and though God may do something to interrupt that plan, it should be His doing, not ours. Let us not go into shepherding a flock with an exit plan already in mind, but instead let's look to faithfully execute that which God has commanded clearly. To Shepherd the flock among us well... Love them enough not to go.