The majority of pastors live with significant pressure and frequently run the risk of burning out. A recent survey of pastors found the following about their ministries:
- 84 per cent say they're on call 24 hours a day.
- 80 per cent expect conflict in their church.
- 54 per cent find the role of pastor frequently overwhelming.
- 53 per cent are often concerned about their family's financial security.
- 48 per cent often feel the demands of ministry are more than they can handle.
- 21 per cent say their church has unrealistic expectations of them.
With so many pastors feeling overwhelmed, concerned, and beyond capacity, it's no secret that the majority won't be able to keep up their current pace. How do pastors continue to serve in ministry with such heavy burdens weighing them down? Most importantly, at what point do we view the sheer volume of "ministry work" as a threat to our most important mission: to share the gospel message?
Perhaps we can begin to address the pressure and burn out that pastors face by thinking of our ministries in terms of the Pareto Principle, which states that 20 per cent of your work typically delivers 80 per cent of your results. In other words, can pastors identify the critical 20 per cent of their days that are most effective for accomplishing the Great Commission?
That isn't to say that the other 80 per cent of a pastor's day doesn't matter, but rather, pastors can find a more sustainable path forward if they make the 20 per cent of their time a clear priority every week, while giving themselves grace for the rest.
For instance, some pastors excel at preaching, and others do not. Those who struggle with preaching would have to devote significant time to it in order to be effective. However, one such pastor I know has largely delegated it to a team at his church, while another pastor relies on the lectionary in order to simplify his sermon prep. Rather than struggling and fumbling through notes all week, then sweating the sermon out on Sunday morning, they have played to their strengths.
Another pastor I know highly prioritises his meetings with people and clear communication with the congregation. Part of this communication is a simple principle: if we don't have the people to staff a ministry, it won't happen. I have seen pastors struggle to keep up with their schedules as they call around trying to staff an event. However, this pastor managed to focus on the key disciple-making part of his schedule and kept an open line of communication about the ministries at his church. Events had to be cancelled at times, but he never showed up late or unprepared for a personal appointment.
At the end of the day, people will only remember 10-30 per cent of what they hear from a sermon. Most events won't deliver the same long term impact as small group or individual discipleship meetings. While there are specific sermons that may stand out for us or events that had an impact, overall I found that these pastors modeled a version of the 80/20 rule. One could even argue that they imitated the ministry of Jesus by prioritising individual and small group ministry over frequent large events, even if the large events are still important and have a place. They made sure their individual contacts didn't get squeezed out by the larger events that tend to be far more "hit or miss" in terms of their impact on individuals.
Most importantly, it can be extremely difficult to launch a ministry and then even harder to stop it. By evaluating new ministry opportunities according to the 80/20 rule, churches can focus on their mission statements, and the ways that a new ministry helps them complete the Great Commission.
This certainly won't be a scientific process, and there's no doubt that prayer and wise counsel will be required. However, if everything is important and urgent, then the truly important and urgent matters of ministry could be neglected or mishandled.
I'm grateful to have seen pastors recognise their weaknesses, cancel under-staffed events, and delegate what they couldn't do at their full capacity. The majority of these pastors prioritised the time they spent in prayer and with individuals. They didn't try to do it all, and there's something humble and true to the Body of Christ in that. Pastors who can't do it all may be the most "effective" people in ministry today.
Ed Cyzewski is the author of A Christian Survival Guide and The Contemplative Writer. He writes at www.edcyzewski.com and founded The Contemplative Writer: www.thecontemplativewriter.com.
