Sam Rainer is president of Church Answers and pastor at West Bradenton Baptist Church in Florida.
Most pastors work hard, love their churches, and would sacrifice their lives for the people they lead. If you are reading this article for ways to get back at your pastor, then it’s likely you’re the problem, not your pastor. But there are some bad pastors out there. Why do people stay with them?
You don’t have to like management to be an effective pastor. But shepherding a congregation does involve managing others. All pastors should both teach and execute.
When the staff is passionate about worship, often the church follows this lead. I cherish the weekly worship with our staff. Staff worship does not need to last long. Our time together is under an hour, but it’s usually one of the most important hours of the week.
With more people regathering in-person for church, a pent-up demand is building for membership classes. The membership class was one ministry many churches put on hold during the pandemic.
Sermon illustrations are tricky. You try to be funny, but it falls flat. You try to be inspirational, but you’re cheesy. You try to be serious, and you have a booger in your nose.
I enjoy a little friendly competition. The reality is many churches don’t compete on friendly terms.
One of the biggest problems in churches is a lack of evangelism.
Church leaders are more on guard right now. It’s understandable. Decision fatigue is a real issue with many pastors. People seem to gravitate to the extremes more easily.
I believe we are on the cusp of a church revitalization movement. The signs are there.
A great reshuffling is beginning to take place. Many pastors are considering leaving their positions or transitioning to a new ministry. It’s not surprising.
