Top 10 Difficulties and Frustrations for Pastors

Pastors today face all sorts of challenges.  They face the emotional strain of walking with people through the most difficult moments in their lives.  They face the challenge of leading volunteers, who often have vastly different opinions on how things should be done.  Pastors struggle with the tension of being trained in pastoral ministry, but being expected to operate the church with the savvy of a CEO.  And of course, there is managing the multiple expectations of parishioners.  No doubt, pastoral ministry comes with its unique set of difficulties and frustrations.

George Barna identified the top stressors pastors face several years ago, and I don’t believe the list has changed much at all.  Here is what he discovered:

  1. Thirty percent of all pastors said the lack of commitment from the laity was their number one stressor in ministry.  The number one challenge that pastors say they face is the feeling that they are expected to do it all on their own.  Regarding the ministry at the church, they often hear verbally or through innuendo, “that’s what we pay you to do.”
  2. The handling of financial and administrative duties was listed by 13% as their number one stress in ministry.  These are the bible college and seminary graduates who took classes in preaching, counseling, biblical interpretation, but never once took a class on budgets, contracts, project management or human resources.
  3. Twelve percent of pastors said the number one question they are grappling with is how to do effective outreach.  Whether do to limited budgets, not understanding the demographics of their community, or just not being sure what to try first, slightly more than one out of ten pastors said they struggle with how to best reach out to their community.
  4. One in ten pastors (10%) say that implementing change is their greatest concern.  They know the things that need to change in church, but they don’t know how to make it happen.  Personally, the first class that I can remember having taken that focused exclusively on implementing change in the church was in my doctoral program.  I wonder how many pastors have never had a single class, or even lecture, on how to implement change in their churches?
  5. Counseling was listed by 9% of pastors as their greatest challenge.  This is probably not due to a lack of concern for people, or an unwillingness to counsel.  This is likely due to a feeling of ineptitude.  Parishioners bring heavy issues to their pastors such as addictions, severe dysfunction in their lives and families, pending divorce, secrets that no one knows about, and personal sin.  Often, a pastor, who maybe has only had a few classes in counseling, feels in over their head.
  6. Developing community within the congregation was listed by 8% of pastors as their greatest challenge.  They see people who attend a service for 75 or 90 minutes on a Sunday, but never relationally connect with anyone beyond that.  They see people who call themselves “regular attenders” but only attend church once or twice a month, and never forge any real friendships in the church.
  7. Eight percent said the low level of spiritual maturity found in the people of the church caused them great concern.  They see people who have relegated the entire spiritual life to attending on Sunday, and are not praying, studying their Bible, or talking about faith around their dinner table at home throughout the week.  Pastors see that their people are not growing but they don’t know what to do to change this.
  8. How to gain greater leadership involvement by the laity was listed by 7% as something they struggle to answer.  Pastors know that their primary calling is not to do the work of the ministry, rather it is to train people to do the work of the ministry, but they struggle to find people who are willing to step up and take the lead.   Too many other things are vying for people’s attention and to make a commitment, certainly a commitment to leadership in the church, gets pushed to the side.
  9. Church politics was listed by 4% as their greatest pastoral challenge in ministry.  This could be official politics of boards, deacons, trustees and the like, that don’t let the pastor lead the church as they should.  It could also be the unofficial politics of the real power brokers and influencers in the church controlling things from behind the scenes. Whichever direction the influence comes from, politics that control, slow down, and chart a course different than the vision that God has given the pastor for the church was listed by 4% as the number one difficulty they face.
  10. Relational difficulties was also listed by 4% of pastors as their greatest challenge.  This could be quite a few different things.  It could be relationships and conflict within the church.  It could be a lack of feeling like one has genuine friends in or outside the church. It could be the toll that ministry places on the relationship the pastor has with his family.  It could be a number of things, but relationships, or the lack thereof, was listed by nearly 1 in 20 pastors as their number one concern in ministry.

This was Barna’s list, and again I don’t believe it has changed much in recent years.  What about you though, do you think there is something missing from this list?  If so, what?

Posted on
Categories: Church Growth, Church Life

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

Leave a Reply to lecoeurarireetaplehiz Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

205 thoughts on “Top 10 Difficulties and Frustrations for Pastors”

  1. BC.Game features a variety of bonuses and promotions, including a daily login bonus that rewards players for logging in each day, encouraging ongoing play and engagement. Home > Company News > Casino & games > Slots > Pragmatic Play adds to Sweet Sensation in Sugar Rush 1000 The same features have been brought back for Sugar Rush 1000; it’s just that they’ve been juiced up. Well, the multiplier spots feature has, the free spins and tumbles have stayed relatively steady. Tumble Feature: Sugar Rush 1000 retains the Tumble feature that Pragmatic Play fans love. After every win, the winning symbols disappear, allowing new symbols to drop down and create additional winning combinations. This feature can result in multiple consecutive wins from a single spin, boosting the overall payout potential.
    https://ligacapsapkvgames.com/casino-sweet-bonanza-16
    Our Picks. Your experience. Enjoy. Sugar Rush is a candy-themed online slot with cascading wins and multiplier features. The bright design and high volatility create dynamic gameplay with chances for big payouts. Winning symbols vanish and trigger Tumbles of those left on the reels. New symbols drop down and Tumbles repeat until no win. Each winning position leaves a multiplier behind, and this increases if another winning symbol is in the same place. The multipliers reset at the end of any series of Tumbles, but only go up, never down, throughout a free spins bonus feature. You can win as much as 25,000x your stake by the end of the free spins. Some of the more popular slots include Sugar Rush 1000, Rich Wilde The Book of Dead, and Big Bass Splash. To start playing the Sugar Rush game slot, simply register at one of the online casinos, whether you’re choosing the original version or its variant Sugar Rush 1000.

    Reply

  2. Sunrise on the Reaping offers Suzanne Collins’ powerful exploration of trauma and resilience in dystopian Panem through sixteen-year-old Haymitch’s journey during the fiftieth Games. This PDF prequel follows his transformation before meeting Katniss. Understand his broken spirit. Download free instantly without any registration required. https://sunriseonthereapingpdf.top/ Sunrise On The Reaping Pdf File

    Reply

  6. Download Sunrise on the Reaping PDF free today. Suzanne Collins returns with this fifth Hunger Games novel revealing young Haymitch’s heartbreaking transformation before Katniss changed everything. Witness the fiftieth Games horror. Instant access without any registration or payment requirements for this masterpiece. https://sunriseonthereapingpdf.top/ When Does Sunrise On The Reaping Come Out?

    Reply

  19. Vous cherchez une lecture qui sort de l’ordinaire ? Ce thriller psychologique sur une femme de ménage est la perle rare qu’il vous faut. Disponible en téléchargement, il vous garantit des heures de lecture passionnante. Laissez-vous séduire par une plume incisive et un scénario diabolique qui vous marquera longtemps. https://lafemmedemenagepdf.site/ La Femme De Ménage Combien De Tome

    Reply

  22. Le secret du renard vous attend dans une édition numérique facile à consulter. Profitez de la technologie pour revisiter ce monument culturel sans encombrement. Le téléchargement de Le Petit Prince PDF est rapide et vous permet de partager facilement cette histoire d’amitié et d’amour avec ceux qui vous sont chers. https://lepetitprincepdf.site/ Le Petit Prince Pdf Magique

    Reply

  23. Accédez à l’un des romans les plus populaires du moment en format dématérialisé pratique. Ce fichier vous permet de lire en toute liberté, sans connexion internet une fois téléchargé. Une histoire d’amour et de courage qui marquera votre esprit à tout jamais, disponible dès aujourd’hui. https://atoutjamaispdf.site/ Best Seller Colleen Hoover Pdf

    Reply

  25. Redécouvrez le dialogue émouvant entre le pilote et l’enfant venu des étoiles. Ce classique est désormais disponible pour une lecture 2.0. En téléchargeant Le Petit Prince PDF, vous préservez un héritage culturel majeur tout en profitant du confort moderne de la lecture électronique. https://lepetitprincepdf.site/ Le Petit Prince Pdf Éducation

    Reply

  26. Le suspense est insoutenable dans ce récit qui a déjà fait frissonner des milliers de personnes. Accédez au fichier PDF pour découvrir l’histoire sombre qui se cache derrière les portes de cette villa. Une lecture fluide et captivante vous attend, parfaite pour les amateurs de thrillers psychologiques bien ficelés. https://lafemmedemenagepdf.site/ La Femme De Ménage Film

    Reply

  28. Transformez votre smartphone en bibliothèque avec ce roman incontournable à télécharger dès maintenant. La version numérique offre une liberté totale pour lire selon vos envies et votre emploi du temps. Laissez-vous séduire par cette histoire d’amour moderne qui a su conquérir le public international. https://atoutjamaispdf.site/ Suite Jamais Plus Livre Pdf

    Reply

  31. Ce livre est une invitation à l’audace et à la liberté de penser, malgré les carcans sociaux. C’est un souffle de liberté. La lecture en pdf incarne cette liberté d’accès au savoir, permettant à chacun de se forger sa propre culture littéraire sans contrainte géographique ou financière. https://lerougeetlenoirpdf.site/ Le Rouge Et Le Noir Donne Quelle Couleur

    Reply

  37. Ce roman est une leçon d’histoire vivante, bien plus passionnante que n’importe quel manuel scolaire. On y vit l’époque. Le support numérique transforme cette leçon en une expérience immersive, où le texte de Stendhal devient une machine à voyager dans le temps accessible d’un simple clic. https://lerougeetlenoirpdf.site/ Le Rouge Et Le Noir Explication De Texte

    Reply

  44. Rien ne vaut la découverte d’un classique de la littérature française pour enrichir sa culture générale et son plaisir de lire. En téléchargeant la version PDF de ce célèbre roman, vous vous assurez des heures de lecture passionnante, plongé dans les intrigues et les paysages ensoleillés de la Riviera. https://bonjourtristessepdf.site/ Bonjour Tristesse Film 2024

    Reply

  46. L’orgueil et la passion sont les moteurs de cette tragédie moderne qui se déroule sous la Restauration. C’est une lecture qui ne laisse personne indifférent. Avoir ce livre en version électronique dans votre bibliothèque virtuelle est un must pour tout lecteur sérieux désirant parfaire sa connaissance des classiques français. https://lerougeetlenoirpdf.site/ Le Rouge Et Le Noir Version Numérique

    Reply

  48. Un classique indémodable qui se doit de figurer dans toute bibliothèque, qu’elle soit physique ou virtuelle. En téléchargeant le PDF, vous faites le choix de la pérennité et de l’accessibilité, vous assurant de pouvoir toujours revenir à ce texte fondamental de la littérature française du XXe siècle. https://bonjourtristessepdf.site/ Bonjour Tristesse Texte Pdf

    Reply

  49. L’analyse des mécanismes sociaux par Stendhal est d’une lucidité qui force l’admiration encore aujourd’hui. C’est un manuel de sociologie romancé. Le format numérique est parfait pour les étudiants qui peuvent ainsi transporter ce savoir encyclopédique partout avec eux, sans le poids d’un livre broché. https://lerougeetlenoirpdf.site/ Le Rouge Et Le Noir Résumé Par Chapitre

    Reply