Tag: district-superintendents

What I Heard from Pastors/DSs in the Shepherds Circle Listening Groups

On By Rob Prince1 Comment

Two weeks ago, Shepherds Circle convened pastors from the majority of churches in the Church of the Nazarene (those churches with fewer than 100 people in attendance). Last week, I sat with pastors from the other end of the spectrum: those serving in the 5% of our churches with more than 250 in attendance, including nine pastors from the top 0.7% with attendance above 750. Then, a group of district superintendents came to the Nazarene Global Ministry Center.

Different churches. 
Different responsibilities. 
Different challenges.

But I walked away with one overwhelming realization: Every shepherd carries a heavy load.

The stressors may not be the same, but I’m not sure our hearts, minds, or bodies know the difference. Stress is stress. Pressure is pressure. And ministry can be tough at any size.

A church of 50 may be struggling to pay the electric bill. A church of 1,000 may be laying off staff because the mortgage has become too much. A district superintendent may be trying to find a pastor for a small, faithful congregation that simply cannot afford to pay a pastor a living wage. Different problems. Same weight.

It hurts when a long-time family leaves a church of 75 for a mega church down the road. It hurts when a long-time member of a larger church takes to social media to criticize the music, the pastor, or the perceived political bent of someone in leadership. And it hurts when long-time church leaders gossip concerning the district superintendent’s leadership style.

It’s lonely when a pastor in a church of 50 feels like there is no one to talk to. It can be just as lonely in a church of 1,000 when a pastor has no one trusted enough to have an honest conversation. And it’s lonely for a district superintendent who spends more time putting out troubling fires rather than experiencing Pentecostal fires in the district churches.

Besides those stressors (and so many other burdens in ministry), life happens to all of us. Troubles at home, health trials, extended family responsibilities will take a toll on anyone. Those circumstances aren’t church matters, but they affect the ability to minister well. 

Here’s the bottom line: 
Pastoring a smaller church is tough.
Pastoring a larger church is tough.
Being a district superintendent is tough.

All of these are callings. All are important. All are needed. Each pastor/district superintendent I met with is serving well and joyfully. But being called doesn’t mean being immune to stress, disappointment, criticism, loneliness, or exhaustion.

And that is why Shepherds Circle is being created.

Pastors need help. They need encouragement. They need someone who understands. They need someone they can trust. They need people who will listen without judgment, pray with them, walk alongside them, and remind them that they don’t have to carry the weight alone. They need to connect with someone who will hear them.

Pastors of small churches need that.
Pastors of large churches need that.
District superintendents need that.

Creating healthier pastors creates healthier churches which creates healthier districts—and ultimately strengthens the mission God has given us. No matter the size of the church, no matter the title, no matter the challenge: Shepherds need shepherding, too. Every shepherd needs a circle of people who are genuinely on their side. That’s what Shepherds Circle is all about.

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Hey, Pastors, Help Me so I can Help You!

On By Rob Prince2 Comments

As you may have seen, I have taken on a new role in connection with the Nazarene Bible College to create a center for pastoral excellence. (Here’s the link to the new job). I technically started last Friday (I write “technically” because prior to May 1, I had already been in meetings with the Bible college and with others connected to this start-up venture). Today is “technically” day four into a whole new world for me.

The big question I’ve been asked since leaving Flint Central Church is: “What in the Center going to do?”  It’s a good question. The simple answer is that Nazarene Bible College wants to help pastors. We want to care for them and their families. We want pastors to thrive when too often many feel isolated and alone. We want to regain a sense of holy, evangelistic urgency in a world that has lost its way. We recognize that District Superintendents need help too. They want to help and encourage pastors but too much of their time is putting out fires and dealing with legal wranglings. Additionally, we want to locate and assist those who are exploring a call into ministry. We hope to assist in training and empowering future pastors to be on-fire, evangelistic, holiness preachers. In other words, we want to restore (or start) a burning, holy fire deep inside the hearts of those called by God and in so doing flip the trajectory of many churches. 

Quite frankly, it’s a big job. Impossible maybe. It’s certainly bigger than me.  Someone once said, “Nothing is impossible with God.” I believe that is still true!

The Center doesn’t have a name. I don’t have a mailing address (I think I will be moving into the Global Ministry Center in Lenexa). I don’t have a phone extension or a work phone number. I don’t have a desk, stapler or official letterhead. I don’t have an assistant. I don’t have really anything other than a desire to help pastors and district superintendents in these challenging times. 

I do have an email address!  Please answer a few of the following questions (don’t answer all 19, you have better things you should be doing). Email me at rsprince@nbc.edu

  1. What do you see as the biggest obstacles that pastors face today?
  • Do you know a pastor who feels lonely or isolated? Without giving names, how do you know this to be true?
  • Would a pastor take advantage of a free (or close to free) retreat space?  If so, where should a retreat center be located? Should there be some spiritual direction in such a space or just let the pastors figure it out on their own?
  • Do you think pastors would take advantage of a low cost or no cost tele-help anonymous counselling service? In your opinion is such a service needed?
  • Do you consider it as unreasonable to expect bi-vocational pastors to work a 40 hour a week job, pastor a church, raise a family and complete the required course for ordination? Explain why or why not.
  • Do you think evangelism is a priority in most churches today?
  • How could pastors (and leaders) be trained into more/better in evangelism?
  • How often should a preacher preach on holiness? 
  • Do you think there are enough holiness resources available for today’s preachers? If not, what would you suggest could be improved? 
  1. Who would you like to hear speak at a conference?
  1. What do you see as the biggest obstacle that district superintendents face?
  1. I’ve heard of pastoral burnout, but not district superintendent burnout. Is that a thing?
  1. Do you think that men and women are being called with the same frequency as in years past?  If so, where are they? 
  1. How would you suggest District Superintendents fill empty pulpits in churches where the faithful members are dwindling and they can no longer afford a full-time pastor in an area with little employment opportunities for a bi-vocational pastor?
  1. With more pastors over 60 years old than under 60, and fewer men and women in the “ministerial pipeline,” what do you think will happen in ten years when the current faithful shepherds retire or get promoted to Glory?
  1. What do you think would be more appealing to those churches where pastoral placement is difficult—a “circuit riding” pastor that covers two or even three churches; a video type sermon offered by a leading regional pastor and leaders trained to cover the other pastoral duties; a trained “lay” pastor from a current member or the waving the white flag of surrender? 
  1. If money were no object, what would you do for pastors? For District Superintendents? 
  1. How do you view the future for denominations like the Church of the Nazarene?
  1. What else do you think I should know?

Thanks for your help. I’ll looking for help as we strive to come up with the answers our pastors and district superintendents desperately need.