The Unique Pressures of Pastoral Ministry
Ed. Note: In the first post in this series, Pastor Sweatt introduced the topic of affliction and depression in Pastoral Ministry. Many issues may be the immediate cause, God’s grace is sufficient, but the preacher will need to turn to God for that grace. In this installment, Pastor Sweatt identifies areas of pressure that are unique to pastoral ministry.
This is not an apology for failing Pastors. It is never right for a pastor to walk away from the place of God’s appointment. It is not right for a pastor to fall. Neither is it right for a pastor to suffer deep periods of depression; however, we need to understand that the position and call of a pastor brings with it certain pressures that other men will never face. The Bible principle is this, the Word of God holds its teachers to a higher standard than others. Thus, there is a different expectation of those who stand in the pulpit. These are the unique challenges in the ministry.
In the book of II Timothy, Paul while sharing his heart with young Timothy and others in the ministry mentions another great burden he bore, the burden of trusted co-workers who turn aside. II Timothy 4:9 “Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.” “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.” A man who was part of Paul’s team, a man who had stood with him, who had been there when he preached, has now turned his back on the ministry. Paul suffers greatly from that loss and is grieving over Demas.
Pastors usually have a small circle of trusted associates. When one of those turns his back, the effect can be debilitating. It is grief. It is as if someone has died. There is heaviness of heart and an oppression that is just like losing a loved one. One goes through the same grieving process as when someone dies. That’s what Paul’s words describe.
Preachers must bear the normal infirmities of the flesh. Preachers are not immune to sickness, deficiencies, or failures. We have our share. The difference is that many of our failures are open to the eyes of others. Preachers endure affliction, first, that we might learn the power of God. If we preach to others about taking God’s strength in their weakness, then we must have weakness too. God allows preachers to have failures so that we can learn to deal with failure. We must learn to rebuild, so that we can teach others how to rebuild. Preachers endure infirmities that we might be a sympathetic helper for God’s suffering people.
When I was a young man, I was pretty arrogant and brash. I had very little sympathy for people who failed. I had not failed much yet. I am now older. I am now a great deal more sympathetic because I have failed, and I have seen people I care about fail. I have shared in that pain. The man of God suffers these things that he might be sympathetic and helpful to those who also are suffering.
Many preachers endure ongoing physical affliction. Charles Spurgeon suffered from rheumatic gout. In the later years of his life, his physical illness required him to be out of the pulpit months at a time. He would preach. He would get sick. He would go away for a while. Finally he died. Paul said, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.” One of the great temptations of anyone who enjoys great public recognition and honor is pride and self-sufficiency. Pride will ruin our ministry. God sends into our life affliction and difficulty that we might understand that without the power of God, and without the grace of God, we can do nothing. While all people suffer physically from time to time, the pastor suffers while bearing the responsibility of caring for others in their suffering.
In the next installment, I will deal with “The Unique Nature of a Pastor’s Work”.
Danny Sweatt is Pastor Emeritus of Berean Baptist Church in Lilburn, GA. He writes from over forty years of ministry experience in Florida, Illinois and Georgia as well as itinerant ministry around the country.
Earlier in this series:
The Peculiar Pressures on the Pastor
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