Pastor…You’re Remarkable (and Probably Overwhelmed)

by Mikal Keefer

A ministry friend recently sent me his newly-revised job description for review: a jaw-dropping five pages of expectations.

Given the job description, here’s what I’d list on the plaque hanging on his office door:

Office of the Pastor
Step inside and you’ll find a…

• Public Speaker—be deep, entertaining, and memorable…each week
• Spiritual Fount of Wisdom—know the answers…in Greek
• Visionary—keep a keen eye on culture and the horizon
• Therapist—counsel families and individuals in the church and beyond
• Writer and Editor—that newsletter won’t write itself
• Evangelist—grow the church numerically
• Corporate Trainer—assure that all who teach do so with excellence
• Coach—be sure everyone is growing spiritually
• Hospital Chaplain—be on call to sit with those in distress
• Public Relations—engage the community on behalf of the church
• Prayer Warrior—keep God abreast of what’s happening
• CEO—the buck stops here—and speaking of the buck…
• Fundraiser—delicately assure the budget balances
• Special Events Coordinator—keep us entertained and busy
• Politician—while navigating change, keep everyone happy
• Janitorial, Maintenance, Light Trucking—as required
• Actor—do it all, all the time, cheerfully

Open: 24/7/365…one call does it all

No wonder my friend is weary. Not even Jesus met all those expectations: he alienated people (sometimes deliberately), failed to show a steady uptick in the Savior/Follower ratio, wasn’t always all smiles.

If you’re sinking under the expectations of your flock, post this list or one like it on your door. Then ask church leaders to help cross few expectations off the list or help find capable people to fill those roles. In our Equipping Institute we give pastors tools and resources that help build a healthy church environment where everyone is all in this together. Maybe it is time you started down the path of equipping your church to serve.

Naïve? Maybe. But until we understand your life, we won’t feel compelled to offer assistance.

We’re praying for you, pastor. But we need you to let us know what else we can do.

Here are some resources for those pastors who didn’t go to seminary just to become the church administrator:

Practical Stuff for Pastors:
Leading Change
Dealing with Conflict
Taking Care of Business
Managing People

Mikal Keefer is the senior editor of church leadership resources, author of 101 Sermon Illustrations, and producer of Lifetree Café.