Not all churches can pay excellent salaries. Considering the spiritual starvation of the world, one can not expect to have reasonable working hours with plenty of time for family, personal hobbies, and a comfortable life. The truth is that we are called to ministry that is very demanding, emotionally exhausting, and will never pay what the skills and gifts expended deserve. But ministry in some churches is a lot more satisfying than in others. To recall a book title several years back, some churches are “clergy killers,” but others are a worthy and satisfying challenge.
What I would like to reflect on this week, is what can a small, financially challenged church do that would make it such a satisfying church to serve that pastors would hunger for such a call and would be very reluctant to leave it. From a clergy perspective, what would such a church look like? I’m not talking about a perfect church in the sense that it is pure and without fault. I’m talking about a church that is filled with ordinary humans, with the normal organizational challenges, conflicts, and neediness, but also a church who knows how to work with a pastor as together they seek to be the church.
What could such a church do to support a pastor in preaching, spiritual development, ministry and mission? For example, I would not want a church who always told me every Sunday that my sermon was perfect. I wouldn’t want a church that always cooperated with everything I suggested and never criticized me or challenged my leadership. I was called to a ministry that is part of something bigger than my own comfort and ego satisfaction.
What would you want your relationship to look like with the congregation? God’s call comes not only to pastors but also to congregations. What does God’s call look like in your church?
