Equip: Why I am not leaving the ministry or the church

Recent statistics indicated the rate of pastors and leaders leaving the ministry has been unusually high. For some, this is simply resigning from the church where they are serving. For others, it seems to be stepping away or distancing themselves from the Christian faith.

As someone who has now been in full-time ministry for over 30 years, most of those years as the senior pastor, I am aware of the unique pressures we are facing today. I have had those moments when I wondered if it was worth it. And yet, I still believe there are many reasons not to give up.

In the spirit of comedian David Letterman, former host of the Late Show, here are my Top 10 reasons why I am not leaving the ministry or the church … in no particular order.

Strong belief in the biblical idea of calling

When I was growing up, there was a strong emphasis on the idea of God calling people to vocational ministry or missions. Many times, at a youth or college event, the speaker would give an invitation and make the appeal, “If you feel God is calling you to full-time ministry, you can come and make that public.” I did several times.

Though I was not exactly sure what full-time ministry would look like, I certainly felt I was being called by God to serve him vocationally.

As I was preparing for full-time ministry in seminary, I remember many professors saying, “If you don’t feel called to serve as a pastor or missionary, you ought to consider doing something else.”

Then, they would add, “Because ministry is too hard if you don’t feel deep down you are called by God to do this.”

Many years later, I agree. Now, after more than 30 years of full-time vocational ministry, I sometimes say, “The only thing that keeps me going is this deep sense of serving the Lord in ministry is what God has called me to do.”

What else would I do, or where would I go?

While not true for all pastors, in my case, the truth is I am not really trained or qualified to be anything but a pastor. Since I have been serving in full-time ministry my entire adult life, I really do not have many other skill sets.

If the Lord were to lead me out of ministry, I believe he would provide the right job. But honestly, I don’t know what that would be. Like Peter’s response to Jesus: “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 9:67-68).

I enjoy what I do.

There is no doubt the ministry can be burdensome at times. Church conflict, counseling hurting people, sermon preparation, funerals, weddings, meetings, and more meetings can all take a toll. However, I do enjoy most of the things required as a pastor.

As someone who feels strongly that one of my spiritual gifts is preaching, I usually enjoy both preparing for my Sunday message and delivering it. I love interacting with people and helping them in their time of need.

I like the flexibility and variety ministry offers. I enjoy being my own boss, though I know I am accountable to my church family, leadership, and ultimately, to God.

Most days, I enjoy doing ministry and count it a real privilege.

The next generations benefit greatly from an experienced pastor who has remained in ministry.

The majority of “nones,” people who have left the church or have no affiliation with organized religion, are in their 30s or younger.

Though I believe the information about this group is true, my own experience is there is a solid group of young people who are serious about their faith and are longing for more experienced Christians and leaders to take them under their wings to model authentic faith.

They have a heart for ministry and want to reach their generation with the gospel. They will lean into an experienced pastor who has been in the ministry for a significant amount of time, so they can learn and grow. This is an incredible opportunity for many experienced Christian leaders.

Most churches benefit from long tenures.

Not only does the next generation benefit from experienced pastors, but local churches and ministries benefit greatly from long, effective tenures. I am aware of churches where the pastor stayed too long, but that is the exception, not the rule.

When a pastor plants his life in a church or country, they minister with enthusiasm and effectiveness, then the church or ministry thrives. Unfortunately, long tenures still can be hard to find. This is why committing to stay over a significant amount of time is critical in kingdom work.

It is an important form of stewardship.

Jesus said, “To whom much has been given, much is required” (Luke 12:48).

Or as Uncle Ben said to Peter Parker in the Spider-Man series, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

The longer one serves in ministry, the more knowledge, wisdom, and experience one should have. One is responsible for stewarding all of that well. When someone leaves the ministry prematurely, they take all of this with them.

When someone remains in ministry, they can share their experience and wisdom with others, and this is good stewardship.

What other career allows you to regularly study, teach, and preach God’s word?

A big part of pastoral ministry is preaching and teaching the word of God. If a person is preaching and teaching regularly, they better be passionate about the word of God. If someone has a passion for God’s word and preaching and teaching it, they are in the right role.

I often think to myself: “I make a living by preaching and teaching God’s word. What a job!”

It is a privilege to be there for people in their highs and lows.

The pastor’s job is sharing life with the church family. As the adage goes, “A pastor marries them and buries them.” And baptizes them, visits them in the hospital, dedicates their babies, and helps in their crises.

While these tasks carry responsibility, to be able to minister during these pivotal moments can bring great satisfaction.

There is a special bond a pastor experiences when sharing life with those they care for and love.

The local church is the hope of the world.

The local church is the hope of the world because the local church contains and distributes the only message that can transform lives. The local church proclaims the message of Jesus offering forgiveness and salvation to all who believe.

Jesus stated he would build his church, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). Despite opposition, incredible change, war, political instability, and much more, the local church continues to thrive in many places around the world. The local church remains the hope of the world.

Marriage and family do not have to take second place to ministry and the church.

Ministry is not only challenging for the minister. It can also bring unique challenges to marriages and families. And yet, if ministry is done with the right attitude and a healthy balance is exercised, ministry can be a blessing to marriages and families.

I have been blessed to have a wife who feels as called to the ministry as I am. My wife and I see our ministry as a partnership. We have one daughter who was very involved in the ministry with us.

My wife and I tried to keep a healthy balance between ministry life and our personal life. We did our best to share the ups and downs of ministry without compromising or putting our daughter in a place where she felt left out or not valued. Most importantly, we lived out our faith together with our daughter. Gratefully, our now-grown daughter is walking with the Lord and loves the church.

And a bonus reason

I get a foretaste of heaven every Sunday.

The church where I am a pastor is multicultural, multinational, and multidenominational. Sometimes, as we are singing praises to the Lord or as I am preaching and looking out on a diverse congregation, I think, “This is a little like John’s vision on the island of Patmos, when he saw a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language” (Revelation 7:9).

I know not every pastor gets to experience this, but for me, it is a big bonus. It is one of the things that keeps me motivated and going. It is one of the many reasons why I am not leaving the ministry.

Paul Dreessen is the senior pastor of the International Baptist Church, San Jose, Costa Rica, where he has served in this position for 24 years. Before moving to Costa Rica, Paul served as pastor of a church in Houston. This article first appeared on the Missional International Church Network website and is adapted and republished here by permission. The views expressed in this resource article are those of the author.