Mistakes are made by every minister. Learning from those mistakes is important, and learning to avoid mistakes is priceless. Some mistakes are small and the results can be overcome. Other mistakes can damage and even destroy a ministry, inflict damage on a local church and even cause a setback in the work of the kingdom of God. We have all observed this truth over the years.
I’ve personally made and observed many ministerial mistakes in my 40 years of ministry, both as a pastor and an associational missionary (director of missions). So let’s look at some obvious blunders and hidden traps every minister should seek to avoid.
- Expecting no opposition.
This can cause you to get discouraged easily. Few, if any, ministers today would tell you there will be no opposition, so it’s better to just expect some. That expectation keeps you from being blindsided. It also keeps you on guard against doing things that create unnecessary opposition. Even good and godly people can be against things they don’t understand or misunderstand. Don’t get discouraged by opposition; let it refine your ministry. Don’t let such a common thing rob you of your enthusiasm or cause you to give up. Every minister has opposition. Enjoy the crowd.
- Handling church money.
This can be a serious mistake. Having control of the church’s money can get you in a great deal of trouble. Financial decisions should be made by the approved leadership of the church. Be careful that you never use the church credit card for personal stuff, even if someone has told you it’s OK and even if you plan to pay it back. It’s just too dangerous to open yourself to the criticism of mishandling church funds.
- Ignoring criticism.
Some ministers are good at totally ignoring criticism. We sweep it under the rug because we think that surely we could not be making any mistakes. The first mistake is thinking you can’t make a mistake. Constructive criticism is the minister’s friend, and when criticism comes from loving people, it can be very beneficial. Be willing to listen to all criticism, adjust and benefit from that which is justified. Excuse the unjustified. If you ignore criticism very long, then a small murmur can become a major uprising. Problems are better handled when they are small and manageable.
- Failing to express appreciation.
Everyone needs to feel appreciated, and much of a minister’s success depends on dedicated volunteers who ought to feel appreciated. It doesn’t take much. A word in the hallway, a handwritten note, a well-timed phone call — there are so many ways to express appreciation. Appreciation felt but not expressed is about as good as a gift bought but never sent. Make a list of the people you really appreciate, and determine to send one expression of appreciation every day until you catch up. After that, express appreciation every time you feel it.
- Being disorganized.
Sometimes ministers can fly by the seat of their pants. Most of the time, we end up in a crash landing. We forget an important appointment, we neglect a hospital visit or we simply can’t remember whom we were supposed to reach out to next. I believe every minister should keep good records, starting with a daily schedule or a to-do list. Time is a terrible thing to waste, and sitting around wondering what you should do next is surely not good stewardship. It is wise to plan out your day. This helps you “act” rather than react. Surely there are people who need to be seen, appointments that need to be kept and things that really need to be done. A disorganized minister eventually disappoints so many people that he will have to go somewhere else and be disorganized.
- Failing to communicate.
Too often, we think people just know what we’re thinking. We often fail to communicate effectively because we don’t understand the principles of good communication. You must say it often for everyone to hear it once; only one out of three hears it the first time. Sixty percent of what your people hear today will be forgotten within 24 hours. Each member of your congregation hears thousands of messages every day, and you must learn to become an effective communicator in order to get his or her attention and become an effective leader. Many ministers learn to communicate a sermon but have not yet learned to communicate their vision. You can make great plans for your church, but if no one really knows where you’re going, then few follow. Learn to effectively use your church bulletin, your newsletter, your telephone, your bulletin boards, e-mail, text messaging and all of the other modern communication tools we have at our disposal. Think about how you are communicating and how often you are communicating. Ask yourself if people are hearing you and if you have told them enough to cause them to follow you.
- Demonizing the opposition.
In my experience as a pastor, and more so as an associational missionary, I’ve come to realize that good and godly people can be on opposite sides of a church issue. It is a mistake to label those of opposing viewpoints as “of the devil” and to demonize their activity. There is no doubt that the church has been infiltrated by some who are not of the faith, but only God can judge that. It is better for me to love and respect others, even when their opinion and their actions do not seem to be what I think they should be. Demonizing the opposition makes matters worse, not better, most of the time.
- Falling prey to an affair.
We all can remember the names of ministers who have fallen into sexual sin. There are many sins that a minister can commit that stay hidden, but an affair or sexual addiction of some type can come out in the open with a bang. Fleeing fornication and every appearance of sexual impropriety is a biblical admonition every minister should keep in mind every minute of every day. Be careful of the computer and stay clear of pornography. The damage done to the Kingdom is too great and the cost is too high. Guard your heart, your mind, your eyes and your marriage with all diligence.
- Becoming angry and combative.
It has amazed me how some ministers justify anger and become confrontational whenever things are not going their way. I believe God has called ministers to lead the church and serve the church as opposed to controlling the church. Christ is the head of the church. Ministers, church leaders and church members should all work together to answer this most important question: “What does Christ want out of our church?” It is hard for me to find any positive word about anger in the Bible. Anger is often listed among the many sins Christians are to avoid. Jesus was surely not guilty of any sin, and we should not use Him to justify our anger or combative spirit. There are many ways to lead the church, and a minister who is in control of his emotions is able to find the best ways.
- Burning out.
If he is not careful, then today’s minister can lose the fire and passion of ministry. His enthusiasm can disappear. This happens if he neglects giving time to himself and his family. The wise minister accepts and uses the time off given to him by his church. Guard your days off, mark them on your calendar and if something takes that day off away, then compensate yourself and your family as soon as possible with another day off. You and your family deserve vacation time. We ministers are not so valuable to God’s work that He cannot do without us for a little while. We may be thinking too highly of ourselves to think that the Kingdom, or the church, cannot run without us. Too many ministers suffer from physical and emotional burnout by their own hand. Nobody has demanded ministers work all the time; it may just be a self-imposed expectation. When you’re supposed to be working, work hard. When you’re off, enjoy it.
I could close by talking about having a bad work ethic, failing to delegate, abusing time off, failing to really love people, not preparing for retirement years, becoming a people pleaser, telling little white lies, making promises you don’t keep, getting stuck in a rut, failing to be a good spouse and/or parent, not practicing what you preach, leaving everything up to God or trying to do it all without God or any one of a dozen other mistakes. I’ll just close hoping that every minister will realize it’s easier to avoid the mistake than to clean up the mess a mistake can make.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Jerry Wilkins is director of missions for Tuscaloosa Baptist Association.
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