Pastor Appreciation Month Part II
I have been fortunate to work with and learn from amazing colleagues in ministry. I attended seminary with some of my generation’s best and brightest pastors and educators. They are passionate and creative individuals who are steeped in Theology and Biblical studies. They work hard to fuse tradition and innovation. They value intergenerational ministry. It is a daunting time to be in the pastorate. We came out of seminary being told there were more pastors seeking calls than there were churches available. I wonder if that narrative has flipped…seems to me I hear of a lot of churches (mostly small) that are seeking a pastor. We were also sent out into a world in which the influence of the church on society was waning and that has only intensified over time. For those of us who entered the ministry in our twenties, there was/is a lot of pressure to attract young people and families to the church. What many folks don’t understand is that by nature of our passion and commitment to the church, we often speak the language of the generations that have preceded us far better than we connect with our generational peers. Since covid, more than ever, we’ve had to adapt to digital ministry. In some ways this is a blessing and way to have a broader reach. In other ways, it is challenging as we navigate serving with one foot in the tangible, face-to-face, pew & steeple world; and another foot in the world of video editing, online worship, and social media ministry where the temptation to be an influencer comes at the detriment of authenticity. I believe pastors experience burnout at far greater rates than a few decades ago as we feel a great pressure to keep the church relevant and keep the doors open. Pastors are often expected to visit parishioners frequently, write sermons that are engaging and deliver them with gusto every Sunday, teach a class or bible study, serve on multiple denominational or community boards and committees, maintain connections with other pastors, seek continuing education, and be at the church every time the doors open. Occasionally, ministers are also the sexton, the plumber, the party planner, the idea generator, and the face of the church. But we only work on Sundays! 😉
Many of my friends are overworked and underpaid…and they rarely complain. Many of my peers work 50 or 60 hours a week and will go for months or even a year at a time without taking a vacation. I know of female peers who have more credentials and experience than her male counterparts and yet been passed over for raises and Head of Staff positions. I know single male ministers who are expected to be available at all hours because they don’t have “the excuse” of a family to go home to. And if we are blessed to be married and perhaps have children, our families live in fishbowls. It is not the same as it once was where the pastor’s wife was expected to also play piano or host dinners frequently...but there is still often an expectation that spouses and children will be very involved in the life of the church (which as you know is not the case for my spouse). So, in this moment, I want to say thank you. I want to say thank you to the congregations that have loved me so well in my 14 years since ordination. My family has been embraced, loved, and cared for by so many wonderful people in the church. I’ve been honored to officiate weddings, preside over tables, baptize children, and witness to the resurrection of amazing individuals. Not many people can say they are invited into the most vulnerable of life’s moments to celebrate joys but also to sit in sorrow. I’ve also been hugged and high-fived by many a child and teen. And I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
I believe God called me to New Providence so that I might have the space to breathe again. To slow down and see the beauty of God’s creation in both nature and community. I believe God knew our family needed the kind of peace and love that is nurtured here. It is not lost on me that my family and I are well cared for financially by the church and given a lovely home in which to dwell. And we are surrounded by the best neighbors we could ask for. I feel that I am appreciated as a person with her own interests and needs and encouraged to spend time, not only doing what I enjoy, but putting my family and my health first. You’ve also been wonderful to our son and given him a home where he feels safe and loved. It is sad to say that not every pastor or pastor’s family has felt that way. I am filled with gratitude for the countless ways you have opened your hearts to us over the last four years. It has been a great blessing; you have been and continue to be a great blessing to me. I am only the pastor that I am because of the congregation and community that you are.
With Love,
Loren