Why are they quitting?

Forty years ago I accepted my first full time position with a congregation, and I have been at it ever since. Many of those I graduated with are no longer involved in full time ministry. Some have even left the church. Over the years I’ve seen many others enter the ministry, either after finishing a college education or completing studies at a School of Preaching, preach for a short time and then return to secular employment. I’ve heard it said that every year more men leave the ministry than enter it. I appreciate anyone who preaches the truth, even for a short time, so I’m not interested in belittling those who no longer preach. I am, however, interested in why so many men leave full time ministry, and what steps we might take to stem the tide.

Some leave for financial reasons. No one with any real understanding of the church and a preachers’ life, enters ministry believing that it is the path to financial independence. Entering ministry thinking that preaching is an easy job with a good salary and benefits is an open door to disappointment, discouragement, and eventual desertion. One must not preach for monetary rewards. That having been said, the fact is that many congregations do not provide adequate support, not because they can’t but because they choose not to.

Preachers are willing to make the kinds of sacrifices preaching entails, but it is hard to stand by and watch one’s family suffer because brethren are unwilling to provide a decent wage. It is hard to fault a man for seeking secular employment which will enable him to meet his responsibilities to his wife and children. Continuing to preach, in spite of the financial hardship, takes a tremendous toll on the preacher’s family. This is a problem easily remedied if congregations would show their preachers how much they value their efforts in the same way that companies demonstrate appreciation to trusted employees with fair raises, decent benefits, adequate time off, and help with retirement. Preachers don’t expect to be the best paid members of the congregation, but they deserve adequate compensation. Clearly the church has a responsibility to provide for those who labor in the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:3-3; 1 Timothy 5:17, 18).

We could retain many of our young men in ministry if we simply provided better financial support for them.

A preacher’s family has the same needs, desires, and expectations as other families in the congregation. Because the financial rewards of preaching are often inadequate, many young men have been drawn back into secular employment in order to meet those needs. The Bible is clear regarding the financial obligations a man has as a husband and father (1 Timothy 5:8). The church’s responsibility toward preachers is also clear (1 Corinthians 9:7-11; 1 Timothy 5:17, 18).

Others have abandoned the pulpit because of discouragement. A young preacher has many critics. Satan does some of his most effective work through the words and deeds of well-intentioned saints. Preachers, regardless of their age, are imperfect creatures just like the people to whom they preach. Preaching is an especially difficult job for a young man, and nothing will discourage a preacher more quickly than constant criticism.

Preachers almost never receive credit when the congregation is doing well, and are the first to be blamed when it is not. The typical response to church problems is to fire the preacher, and young men are particularly susceptible to this knee-jerk response. Yes, there are times, because of false doctrine, immoral conduct, or a complete disconnect with the congregation, when a change may be in order. But, to assume that any problem can be addressed by changing preachers is good for no one but the moving companies.

God does not judge success or failure by human standards. If a young man is living an upright life, faithfully preaching the WORD, and standing firm for truth, God will judge him successful (Isaiah 6:9-12). Attendance and contributions are the standards of the world, not those of the Lord. There are many ways to boost attendance and increase contributions, but only one way to win souls and that is by faithfully living and proclaiming truth. The preacher’s job is to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:1-5).

We would make great strides in producing and keeping preachers if we adequately supported them, and lovingly encouraged them. That doesn’t mean that we never offer constructive criticism, but it does mean that we will compliment them when they do well, forgive them when they fail, encourage them when they are discouraged, pick them up when they are down, let them know that they are appreciated, and love them for their works sake.

Young men sometimes leave the ministry because of financial restraints. For others it is because of discouragement. Nothing discourages more quickly than constant subjection to criticism. A young man soon begins to doubt himself and to wonder if he can do anything right. At that point it is easy to turn to secular employment and leave the preaching to others.

For some the expectations of brethren are overwhelming. Although it is seldom stated, it is generally implied that when the congregation acquires the services of a young man, his wife is part of the package. She is expected to be involved in the Bible school program, often teach a ladies’ class, take the lead in fellowship activities, visit with the preacher, and a dozen other things. In what other position would a young man find an employer with similar demands on his mate? A preacher’s wife is no more an employee of the church than any other member’s wife. Yet, she often feels the pressure to do it all, to be at every shower, prepare food for every sick member, dress immaculately, entertain constantly, and do it all on a limited budget.

In addition, the preacher’s kids are held to a higher standard. Children of preachers are under special scrutiny. They are expected to be well-behaved, set a good example, be good students, relate well to all ages, and in a sense, be different from the brethren’s kids. The reality is that we ought to all be held to a higher standard because we are children of God. It can be especially frustrating when the preacher’s kids are not allowed to do many of the things that the elders’ and deacons’ children do. It can place a terrible strain on the family and has caused some to abandon the pulpit altogether. It is unfair to hold the preacher and his family to a standard of conduct that others are not held to, and often is unattainable.

Further, when problems arise in the congregation it is the preacher who will be blamed. Marriages fail, immorality raises its ugly head, people fall away and the preacher becomes the scapegoat. He didn’t preach enough on the home, didn’t take a strong enough stand against sin, wasn’t active enough with the young people, or was just too negative. Frankly, we have blamed the failures of the home on elders and preachers for far too long. A seasoned preacher knows that these things are going to happen, but for a young man doing his best it can be devastating to discover that it is not enough to preach the truth and live an upright life, he will also be held responsible for the failures of others.

We could retain more of our young preachers if we had more realistic expectations for them and the work they do.

We are losing preachers, especially young ones, for a variety of reasons. It may be the lack of adequate support, constant subjection to criticism, or unrealistic expectations, but clearly men are leaving the pulpit in record numbers. The problem does not lie solely with the church. Preachers must share part of the blame. They often enter the ministry with unrealistic expectations and a lack of proper training.

Some young men do not understand the nature of the work. They may have grown up seeing the preacher in front of the congregation on Sunday and Wednesday, and at the center of fellowship activities, but they were never exposed to the day to day work of a gospel preacher. “Everyone knows that preachers only work one day a week.” We have all heard it, and sadly some believe it. A young man who views the work of the preacher as a glamorous position involving minimal time and effort will soon find himself frustrated and overwhelmed. Rather than knuckle down and do the work, it is easier to walk away. As a rule of thumb, the young preacher, at a minimum should work as many hours each week as the average member, plus an additional amount of time equal to what elders, deacons, Bible school teachers put into the work, After all, these folks are all working forty hour weeks, and then often doing many hours of additional work in the Lord’s church. Young preachers need to understand that ministry requires long hours and hard work. The preacher is “on call” twenty-four/seven.

It is not necessary to have a college degree or a diploma from a school of preaching to be an effective evangelist, but proper training is absolutely essential. Ezra “set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel” (Ezra 7:10 ESV). Preachers must prepare themselves. They must know the truth and live the truth before they can effectively preach it. That can be accomplished through personal study, or through formal training (a school of preaching or college education), but it must be done. Entering ministry unprepared will inevitably lead to a bad outcome.

Congregations could make a positive impact on the training of preachers if more of them would have their own training programs. If we allowed young men to work along side seasoned preachers for a year or two, it would prove immensely beneficial both to the young man and the congregation. It is hard to beat on the job training. Didn’t Jesus do that with the Twelve? Wasn’t that the approach of Paul with Timothy and Titus?

We need to do all we can to encourage, train and keep young men in ministry. Individually and collectively, we can make a positive contribution to the Lord’s church by encouraging and supporting those who want to preach and are willing to prepare themselves to do the work of an evangelist and fulfill their ministry (2 Timothy 4:5).

— Roger