Reflecting on the State of the Church

Paul notes – Michael Kruse reflects on the state of the church and wonders if there’s a connection between its state and its apparent disinterest in the dispersed everyday participation of its members in what God is doing. Personally I think it’s two different issues, but both in their own right provide significant challenges for a church that still locates itself in a ‘world’ and a time that disappeared a long time ago. Here’s some statistics he references:

·           80% of pastors say they have insufficient time with spouse and that ministry has a negative effect on their family.

·           40% report a serious conflict with a parishioner once a month.

·           33% say that being in ministry is an outright hazard to their family.

·           75% report they’ve had significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry.

·           58% of pastors indicate that their spouse needs to work either part time or full time to supplement the family income.

·           56% of pastors’ wives say they have no close friends.

·           Pastors who work fewer than 50 hrs/week are 35% more likely to be terminated.

·           40% of pastors considered leaving the pastorate in the past three months.

You can read the whole post here including a great quote from William Diehl which I recall reading many years ago. Thanks to Len Hjalmarson for bringing Michael’s post to my attention.

Comments

[stu Mcgregor]

i was just wondering how those stats compare with execs in secular jobs?