The life of a pastor is an intricate one. So many people in Church erroneously think the pastor is God, the pastor has solutions to the challenges of all church members, the pastor has no troubles of his own and should minister to them all the days of his life. This is not so. Below are what so many preachers go through which they would not ordinarily tell you. However, you need to know them so that at all times, you can uphold your pastor in prayers.
- The pastor is human, like every congregation. He has his challenges, pains, his low moments, times he weeps, times he needs help, times he needs counseling, times he looks up to God for assistance.
- He is often the most betrayed of all men. If you sit with some pastors, you will hear tales upon tales of people they have relied on, assisted, yet betrayed them.
- The challenges of the pastor is compounded by the fact that he is not expected to openly do things like others. He cannot openly complain, murmur, abuse, mix, weep, mourn, etc. He is expected to hide his pains while ministering to people in pains. A pastor was to minister at a crusade, his two children died in a motor accident on their way to the crusade. The pastor still ministered for three days at the crusade as if nothing happened!
- Too often pastors are the first in line to give help and the last receive. Unfortunately, this mindset has left them unable or unwilling to receive the love, support and encouragement they so desperately need.
- There are 24 hours in a day, translating to 168 hours a week. A recent survey showed that most pastors are on pastoral duties for 114 hours per week or 16 hours every day, praying for callers, the sick, the needy, holding meetings, preaching, counselling, visiting, getting prepared, reading, etc.
- Pastors are on duty 247. They often put their personal lives on hold to attend to the needs of others. You can see why the devil attacks their families in their absence.
- Pastoring is the most versatile of all professions. A banker works in the bank, attending to customers. A doctor in the hospital attending to the sick. The engineers and mechanics, to the engines. The pilots, to the plane. The lecturers and professors, to the students and their books. Mention the profession, they all have their directions. But the pastor ministers to all of them. When all of them have issues, they run to their pastors! The pastor is expected to know a bit of their professions, to feel their pains and minister to them!
- Being a pastor can be lonely. Most pastors have few friends or no active social lives due to the nature of the work. They often combat feelings of isolation and loneliness. It can be pretty difficult for many pastors to have friends within and outside the Church because they are always on the spot, closely monitored. Any little mistake, which could come anytime as human, people would shout – “Pastor”!
- Many pastors have issues at home because their wives do not understand the nature of the job. Most wives see the glamour, not the responsibilities. They want their husbands 247 but forget that he has a second, bigger family, the Church.
- Pastors have no answers to all your questions and challenges. He wishes you don’t put him under pressure to give answers at all times. He has a boss who directs him. If the boss does not speak, he cannot speak.
- He alone cannot do the job. He needs members who will be loyal and available. He needs people he could delegate to visit the sick, the widows, the absentees, the disgruntled, etc. It is not possible for a pastor to visit all his members.
- He needs a few people who will give him regular but sincere feedback on his sermons and handling of matters.
- Pastors sure respond fast to loyal and available members, people who respond to him and his ministry. An available illiterate is better than an unavailable professor! Your plenty degrees and wealth mean nothing to him if you don’t make them available for the use of God through his ministry.
- Your pastor cannot be the only person to speak every Sunday. Please know that there are times pastors don’t even feel like coming to Church. But he has to! Please give him time to rest and re-energise.
- On Sundays, your pastor needs to make connections with new members and guests. If you, an old member, needs more than a few seconds of his time, let it wait till another time. Reach out to him outside of the church. Your pastor will appreciate you giving him the space to meet new people. This will also give him time to give your situation more focus outside the hectic nature of Sunday mornings.
- Your pastor needs champions, people who can rise up financially to assist him to meet needs. So many times pastors experience challenges that often threaten to close their ministries or put them in shame. At times like this, most Church members are nowhere to be found. Many pastors are known to have reached into the dept of their reserves, sold personal properties to meet up. In cases like these, pastors need champions who would divinely assist.
