January 9 Pray for Your Pastor! Ephesians 4:11-14
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina…“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,”
Apparently, God has intended that I be a “Sounding Board” for some of my fellow pastors, and to be an “Encourager” for these young men! Amazingly, and sadly, many of the stories that I am hearing are the same stories, just different players! Many of the young pastors that I have had the privilege to encourage are overwhelmed by the weight of the reality of church life and the challenges that exist. Just recently, a gifted young man described his challenge as if he were operating an Adult Daycare Center! A pastor’s job can be lonely, overwhelming and, often, initially, unrewarding and void of any sense of fulfillment! The very first encouragement that I provide is to double down on prayer time and to pray for specific issues and for specific people! Allow God to create the Proper Attitude and for Him to Provide the Energy, Enthusiasm and the Vision to Succeed! Recently, I read some alarming statistics about pastors. This survey determined that 97 % of pastors have been betrayed, falsely accused or hurt by their trusted friends! 70% of pastors battle Depression! 7,000 churches close each year! 1,500 pastors quit each month! 10% will retire as a pastor! 80% of pastors feel discouraged! 94% of pastor’s families feel the pressure of ministry! 78% of pastors have no close friends! 90% of pastors report working 55-75 hours per week! Not every pastor is as blessed as I am! I feel a sense of responsibility to encourage and to uplift my fellow brothers in Christ! Please join with me in supporting and encouraging and Praying for the Pastors that you know. Stay Strong, Stay Focused… THE BEST IS YET TO BE!