The most important decision a church congregation makes is who to call as pastor. That is the conclusion of many scholars who study the life of the church. Much of the church’s future will flow from the relationship of the church and its pastor. Studies found that after about seven years, a church begins to reflect the values, goals and vision of its pastor.
A study by New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary professor Bill Day concluded, “The length of a pastor’s tenure was found to have a direct correlation on the health of a church. A church’s likelihood to be healthy was much greater when the pastor had served there between five and 20 years.”
A study by Ellison Research reported, “Any study of the church landscape reveals that the vast majority of extremely strong and often large churches have or had a pastoral tenure of more than 15 years. In fact, the best years of service take place between five and 14 years.”
In an article titled “Pastoral Longevity and Church Growth,” Charles Arn reported that approximately three-fourths of growing churches were being led by pastors who had been in their church more than four years while two-thirds of declining churches were being led by pastors who had been in their church less than four years.
Arn added, “Frequent change of pastors seems to negate all the other complicated ingredients that go into a church’s growth mix.”
Still another report declared, “Rapid pastoral turnover greatly contributes to the instability, lack of growth and the demise of a local church. Still pastors continue to move far too quickly.”
Despite knowing the advantages of continuity in pastoral leadership, the average tenure of a Baptist pastor is 3.6 years (42 months) according to Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources. A survey of Protestant denominations found the average pastor stays 54 months or 4.5 years. Barna Research places the average tenure between four and five years.
One observer looked at these numbers and concluded, “That’s just not long enough to make a difference beyond marrying and burying people.”
If churches and pastors know the advantages of longer pastoral tenure and the dangers of shorter pastoral tenure, then why does this pattern continue?
Part of the reason is lack of a common vision between pastor and people.
In one study, about two-thirds of pastors who had resigned their churches responded to a survey and indicated that problems between them and the churches they served played a part in the resignations. It was expressed in phrases like “desire to serve a different community,” “job frustration” and “wanting a different size church.” Ten percent of the respondents said they were asked to leave or were fired.
In a report titled, “10 Common Reasons Pastors Quit Too Soon,” discouragement and failure were the top two reasons cited.
Rainer was more specific. Four of the top five reasons he lists are: 1. Frustration over critics in the church; 2. Frustration over the direction of the church; 3. Burn out; and 4. Forced termination other than moral failure.
Improving the relationship between the pastor and the church begins before a pastor is ever called. A church must know what it is looking for in a pastor if trouble is to be avoided and tenure increased. That does not mean surveying the church to determine preferred age, education and desired experience in the next pastor. It means knowing what values the pastor should have to be compatible with the congregation and community. It means determining what leadership qualities are needed to do the ministry priorities of the church. It means agreeing on what the church wants to be and what its vision is. Determining such things is difficult but necessary.
Not every pastor can serve every church. That is not an indictment of a pastor or a church. It simply recognizes that certain churches require one skill set while other churches require a different skill set.
Knowing what skills are needed to successfully lead a particular congregation is the only way of determining if the prospective pastor possesses those skills that increase the probability of successful pastoral leadership.
No one buys a house by looking at the outside or taking a quick walk-through of the main floor. Buyers carefully examine a house from foundation to roof. Frequently an expert will be hired to examine everything from electrical wiring to plumbing to heating and cooling.
Likewise, no pastor should be called without a thorough examination of background, ministry skills, past experiences and all the rest.
Leadership style, worship preferences, theological commitments, ministry goals, strengths, weaknesses — such things seldom change from place to place. They reflect the vision and values of the prospective pastor, and those must be compatible with the vision and values of the calling church to avoid conflict.
Churches should insist that a pastor be able to lead by vision and not by personality. Church members can commit to vision. Vision can empower dedication and hard work. Vision remains when personalities change.
A leader whose primary strength is personality often attracts people with his warmth and charisma. But when the pastor leaves, so do the people. Such a pastor was never about building a church. Instead, he built a personal following.
A pastor must have substance, not just show, as well. A church cannot afford to be distracted by charisma and learn too late that the person called does not wear well over time.
For congregations to be stronger, healthier places where people come to know God through faith in Jesus Christ and then grow in their Christian discipleship, the relationships between pastor and people must improve. For that improvement to happen, churches have to be more careful and more serious in the calling process.
Recognizing the importance of a common vision between pastor and people is a good place to start to avoid conflict and improve relationships.
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