Tag: pastors

The Nazarene Pastor Shortage and What One Church is Doing About It

On By Rob PrinceLeave a comment

On Flint Central Church’s recent mission trip to Panama, a high school student preached the Sunday morning message (with a translator) in the Panamanian church. By all accounts, she did great. Two students came home from the mission trip announcing that they were sensing a call into ministry. There are at least two other high schoolers who also have expressed an interest in becoming a pastor. If you are counting at home that is 5 students expressing an interest in ministry.*

Why does Central church have so many young men and women called into the ministry? 

There are probably a variety of reasons. I’ll list a few possible answers: 

1) There is a healthy church culture. The board and pastoral staff are aligned. Students view ministry positively because of the church culture that has developed. 

2) The church emphasizes “Growing Together.” Students have seen in their parents, grandparents or many other adults a faithful witness. There is a mutual love between the older, seasoned Christians and students.

3) The church has had great youth pastors who have inspired our students on what they could become and have modeled faithfulness before them.

4) Opportunities have been given for students to hear from the Lord: Mission trips, NYC, D-Now, retreats and camps. God speaks when students getaway and can listen to God. 

5) God calling people into ministry is mentioned from the pulpit and in youth group from time to time. The students have seen their peers called into ministry and have been open to God speaking to themselves too. Sometimes it’s a snowball effect, one student is called into ministry then another and another and another… it just keeps growing.

6) There have been opportunities for ministers-in-training to serve at Central as volunteers and interns. For example, yesterday’s summer combined adult and student Sunday School class was taught by a recent high school graduate.

7) The church puts its money where its mouth is. This year Central Church gave out over $26,000 to in scholarships to 18 Olivet Nazarene University students. There has been an emphasis on education and the church has helped provide for it.

And most importantly, 

8) Central church is a praying church. They’ve followed Jesus’ instructions: “pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2). The church has prayed and God has answered!

Corporately, the Church of the Nazarene needs to pray too. The Church of the Nazarene is in desperate need for young men and women to be called into the ministry. The current clergy are aging (writer included. Deep Sigh!) and we need more pastors. On our district there are 8 churches in need of a pastor. From what I can tell (I may be wrong) none of those churches have any prospects. No interviews are lined up. No one is knocking on the church doors to become the next pastor. The Eastern Michigan district is not alone. There is a pastor shortage and it’s going to get worse as we old timers die off.  After all these years, Jesus words are still true. The fields are still ready. We need to pray for (and develop) workers more than ever.

*This is not a new phenomenon at Central Church. Here are the 20-somethings from Central Church in ministry (or training): Bryce Potts is a student at Taylor University studying to be a worship pastor. He is interning at Central Church this summer. Two students are in Olivet’s summer PR groups (Tyler Chapin and Grace Bedell). Sarah Hurd is a youth pastor in Illinois. Tyler and Hannah VanSteenburg are pastoring in Madison Heights, Michigan. Of course, Haley (VanSteenburg) Baker is the wife of Central Church’s Mid-High Youth pastor, Tyler. While Justin Hilliard doesn’t have a ministry degree or pastor’s license, trust me, Central Church’s tech director (who grew up at Central church) is in ministry. Even though the Close sisters, Lydia and Sophie, expressed a call to ministry before coming to Central Church, I will include them too. Lydia and husband, Caleb, are pastoring the Refinery Nazarene Church in Brandon, Michigan. Sophie and husband, Ethan, are on staff at Devoted City Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Another 20-something, Allie Degner, starts next week working at the Global Ministry Center of the Church of the Nazarene in the communications department, These are just the pastors and leaders in their 20’s—Flint Central has many other pastors age 30 and above who list Central church as their “home” church (including our own 30 somethings Pastors Sauer—Tyler and sister, Emily). If you are counting at home that’s 13 people from Central church in their 20’s in ministry.

Pastor, the New Year is in Sight… you can make it!

On By Rob PrinceLeave a comment

Christmas season is in full swing. It’s the busy season for retailers– and pastors too. There’s parties, programs, gift exchanges, benevolence requests, of course, sermons to write and everything else that goes into the season. Then it gets busier. Toss in a sick child, a funeral, a broken down car, a troubled teenager, a disgruntled member, a financial crisis either at home or at the church (you know, the everyday life of a pastor) and it gets even more complicated. It was 17 years ago this week (December 20, 2007), while reading a letter from a disgruntled member during a financial crisis that my brain hemorrhage occurred. I’m convinced (and my neurologists concur) that the reason for the aneurism was (in part) due to the stressful season. 

Stress is an ever present “friend” for pastors. Besides the burden of carrying the parishioners’ troubles and sicknesses and the pastor’s own family circumstances, there are all the church financial and building issues. Pastors get anonymous letters and a few signed by disgruntled members over any number of topics. Top that off with pastors enduring the lies, rumors, and troublemakers’ shenanigans. Social media has made the stress level of pastors’ lives rise to new heights. All of these stressors are compounded at Christmas time. 

Pastors, if your worship attendance numbers, offering total or sermon wasn’t great this past Sunday. It’s OK. To, in part, quote the late great, Tony Campolo, “It’s Monday, but another Sunday is a comin’.”  In other words, you get another chance this week for all those things to improve. If you received an unwanted email about this or that (I received one over the weekend), take a deep breath, count to ten and give that person over to Jesus (I’m still working on that one, to be honest). If you’ve got to take a break, take it. If you need to hand off some duty to someone in the congregation, do it. If you need to simply settle it for a long winter’s nap, sleep away. 

Pastors, during the hectic Christmas season make sure you take care of yourself. The Kingdom needs you healthy and well. Your church needs you healthy and well. Your family (and you) need you well too. So stop listening to the naysayers, go for a walk and enjoy the crisp winter air. We’re in the homestretch toward Christmas. You can make it! Take care of yourself, drink a cup of hot chocolate (or eggnog) and enjoy the season once more.

Merry Christmas! The lights of the New Year are in sight, you’ve almost made it.

What makes a “Joyful and Triumphant” Pastor? 

On By Rob PrinceLeave a comment

The Pastors’ Christmas Banquet is tonight on the Eastern Michigan District. The district is blessed to have Frankenmuth, a quaint Christmas village, nearby (technically, the town is located in the Michigan District’s territory but the drive is not too far for most EMD pastors). The dinner is at the iconic Zehnder’s restaurant and its famous family style chicken dinners. Karla and I always leave a little early for the dinner so we can stop at Bronner’s (the world’s largest Christmas store) in Frankenmuth to purchase a few ornaments. All this to say, the Eastern Michigan Pastors’ Christmas dinner is a far cry from some districts’ pastor’s Christmas dinners in musty church fellowship halls or at greasy truck stops along the freeway. 

When I first started attending this event, it was a much more dress-up affair. I once called the gathering the “Nazarene Prom.” It’s not as “promy” these days. There will be still be red sweaters and a few Christmas ties, but no gowns or corsages. We will eat chicken (and schnitzel), sing Silent Night and see pastor friends from across the district. It will be a nice evening.

I’m thankful for the brother and sisterhood of ministry. Some of the finest people, I know are pastors. While pastoring has its moments of glorious victories, there are also many times of disappointment, betrayal, loneliness and heartache. It’s not always easy being a pastor (believe me, I know). Some have toiled in difficult situations with little thanks, yet are still faithful. Some have been slandered, lied about, criticized by carnal members and still serve Jesus. Social media has butchered plenty of fine pastors (or their families) and caused many sleepless nights. Some have been passed over because leaders have listened (whether consciously or not) to those corrupt and sinful voices. They have endured loss and hurt but press on. It’s a calling not a job. It’s that calling that gets them up every day and keeps them working hard into the night. There once was a commercial saying being a U.S. marine was “the toughest job you will ever love.” Not true. Being a pastor has that distinction.

All this to say, tonight, as we are singing “O Come All Ye Faithful,” I will look around the roomful of pastors and see plenty who are “joyful and triumphant.” They are so, not because of accolades or church statistics. Instead these faithful shepherds, empowered and enabled by Jesus, are fulfilling the call He placed upon their lives. The Kingdom is enlarged because of these “joyful and triumphant” men and women

I will be honored to be standing in their midst. 

Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. Jeremiah 3:15

There are 31,354 Clergy in the Church of the Nazarene, Here’s What you Need to Know

On By Rob Prince1 Comment

There are 31,354 clergy in the Church of the Nazarene. 19,321 elders. 893 deacons. 11,140 district licensed ministers. Of the 19,321 elders, exactly 11,003 are from USA/Canada. 

As one of the 31,354, I am proud of my co-laborers across the globe. Obviously I don’t know all 11,002 of my fellow elders in USA/Canada. I am sure there are a few stinkers in the bunch, but just a few. 

Here’s what I know about Nazarene clergy: they work hard. They don’t often get paid well. Until this year, their retirement stink, stank, stunk (thank you P&B for greatly improving the denominational investment in the retirement plan). Pastors are loving, kind, and generous. There’s not a lot of complaining from them, just a lot of praying and preaching and visiting the sick and the million other jobs of a pastor. Social media has made their job infinitely harder; the cultural circling of the drain has made it harder still; and pastoring in an election year makes it even harder than that. Still they faithfully serve. 

Pastors aren’t perfect (neither are you, non-pastors, who might be reading). Pastors are usually strong, but sometimes are weak. Usually right, but sometimes are wrong. Usually preach good sermons, but sometimes preach a bad one. Usually use good discernment, but sometime mess up. Usually are thrilled to be serving in their location, but sometimes want out. Usually lead well, but sometimes get off track. Pastors are humans, in other words (again so are you).

Most folks in the congregation would say they love their pastor and they know she/he loves them. You probably feel this way, so why tell you what you already know? Simple, don’t let the social media naysayers allow you to think that (your pastor excluded) the other 11,002 USA/Canada Nazarene pastors are goobers or worse. If you watch the internet too much, you’ll hear of moral failures and a bugaboo elder or two, but that’s the minority. The extreme minority. Again, most Nazarene pastors love Jesus, the Church of the Nazarene and their flock (well, most of the flock. There are a few goober laymen too… but not many). The vast majority of Nazarenes pastors and people (my antidotal guess is 99.8%) are trying hard to serve Jesus.

We’ve all heard the saying, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” In our social-media-gone-mad world, maybe the statement if relating to the clergy in the Church of the Nazarene should read “the squeaky two hundredths of one per percent of 11,003 get the notoriety.” Pay little attention to the hullabaloo. Social media stalking of the sinful or heretical borders on mindless chatter at best and gossip at worst. You’ve got better things to do—like telling your own pastor that you support her/him; praying for him/her; and appreciate his/her efforts to lead the charge against the Enemy in your hometown. 

Laypeople reading this might not be able to encourage all 31,354 Nazarene pastors, but I bet you could cheer on one or two! Pastors reading this know you have 31,353 other pastors in the Church of the Nazarene who just like you are doing their best to represent Jesus! Be encouraged. The overwhelming majority are faithfully serving (just like you). And to the teeny tiny minority of pastors who’ve had their struggles, sins, trips and falls, please remember the One who called you is still faithful, even if you haven’t been. Ministry might be out of the question, but you’re not too far gone, no matter what you or others might think. Confess. Move forward (in ministry or not). Finish the race. 

All this to say, most (not all, but most by far) of 31,354 ministers in the Church of the Nazarene love Jesus and want to see His Kingdom built wherever they are serving.