Why Pastors Are Leaving Ministry

 How long have you been in the pastorate at your church?  If it’s more than 10 years, congratulations! You are the exception and not the rule.  The Francis Schaeffer Institute of Church Leadership Development reports that 35-40% of all pastors in America leave the ministry before the five-year mark and 60-80% will leave before 10 years.  This means that only a small percentage will remain in ministry until retirement. If God is calling someone to full-time ministry, why are they leaving?   

Here are a couple of reasons why:

1.  Most Pastors Don’t Have a Coach

If you survey the top seminaries in the country, you will find the pastoral graduates have been well trained in the disciplines of Scripture, theology, and even spiritual formation.  Unfortunately, instruction in people management, group dynamics, and organizational behavior is critically lacking.  This means that most pastors will have very little experience in dealing with people, which comprises the majority of their job!  If you applied the same approach to any other line of work, it would spell failure.  As a result, most pastors struggle and have to learn the hard way, through trial and error. They don’t have anyone they can go to in order to gain perspective and insight (i.e. Coach). Without this support, the pastorate can be an extremely taxing experience, especially when attempting to live up to the never-ending needs of a congregation. Therefore, it doesn’t take long for a pastor to burn out and think if they go to a different church, it will be better. Just like an athlete needs a coach, a pastor needs a coach as well. To go it alone is a formula for failure. This is one reason why the pastorate has become a revolving door in many churches today. 

 2.  Many Pastors Struggle With Conflict

When it comes to personality types, most pastors tend to be relational, which often is described as a “feeler”. Of course, this is a huge benefit when it comes to care and compassion, but when relational conflict takes place it can be a major liability. Every pastor will inevitability experience criticism, it is just part of the job. If a pastor (being a “feeler”), isn’t properly prepared, it can lead to personal hurt and injury. It is not uncommon for discouragement and depression to set in as well as the temptation to look for approval in unhealthy ways. (e.g. moral failure). As a result, pastoral disqualification will take place and there will be a need for them to resign.

The Solution: Unless a pastor learns and understands how to work with people and deal with criticism, they will ultimately burn out, resign, or move from church to church. We are here to help!!  Please don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Mark Ambrose to discuss what the coaching experience can provide to help you flourish rather than fail.