Judson Jones’ story is an unusual one. He was called as pastor of Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church in Hueytown when he was right out of seminary in 1944. Thirty-four years later, he retired as pastor of that church. On April 9, 2003, “Brother Jones,” as he was affectionately known by thousands, was buried in the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery behind the church.
Brother Jones came to Pleasant Ridge and never left. He led the church to double in membership and then double again. Pleasant Ridge became the leading church in Bessemer Baptist Association. After retiring, Bro. Jones remained a faithful member of the church, assisting the pastors who followed him in a number of ways. As late as three years ago when he was 87, he was still officiating at funerals.
There are not many ministers who have a 59-year love affair with a single church, but that is part of the legacy of A. Judson Jones. His life is a testimony to the value of a ministry planted in one place.
Even the concept of a minister spending his life in one place sounds strange to modern-day ears. The average stay for Protestant pastors is 2.3 years. Most people have become so accustomed to pastoral changes it is hard to imagine a pastor spending a lifetime in one church.
Lest one be tempted to point an accusing finger toward ministers alone for the record of short tenures, the responsibility of church members for this plight must also be acknowledged. Some churches like to live in the “honeymoon” time of a relationship with their pastor. When the glow begins to fade, they prefer to call another pastor. Some churches are known as “pastor killers.” The result is always a short-term ministry. Some churches refuse to financially care for the pastor appropriately. Necessity forces the pastor to seek another place of service.
Truthfully, there is enough responsibility for short pastoral tenures to go around. But that should not obscure the contributions of long-term pastorates.
In his book “The Remarkable Secret of Keeping People in Your Church,” Thom Rainer found that the average pastoral tenure of churches that effectively involved new members was 9.83 years. Churches that were ineffective in involving new members had pastors with an average tenure of less than four years.
Involving people in the life of a church is not a program. It is a mind-set. It does not happen because the pastor says, “We are going to do this.” It happens when the church becomes of one mind toward the goal of involving new members. Developing such a congregational attitude takes time. That means the pastor has to be there long enough to lead the church through the process of developing a congregational mind-set.
Congregational ministry also increases with tenure, studies indicate. No pastor is able to do all that ministry requires. Lack of inclination, abilities and training may be part of the reason. Time is another. No one person possesses the skills to do everything nor does any one person have the time to do everything.
The typical pattern seems to be that in the first years of a pastorate, members wait to see where the new minister will invest himself. As needs become apparent, members then step in to take up the slack. Pastors with longer tenures also indicate more willingness to share ministry with others. They do not have to “prove” themselves to anyone nor do they have to be afraid that someone will be after them for sharing ministry.
Longer-tenured ministers know their congregations and are known by their congregations. There is a trust level hammered out through years of experience. This trust level provides the pastor access and knowledge that a short-term pastor does not have.
Long-term pastors really are the leaders of their churches in most cases. Congregations are more willing to follow a long-term pastor because members of the congregation know the person, know this person desires the best for the church and know he is not going away. That is not always true in a church with frequent pastoral changes.
Preaching is also impacted by tenure. It has been pointed out that long-term pastors are more likely to preach “the whole counsel of God.” The author of the study making that observation noted that a short-tenured pastor usually preaches out of his favorite areas of Scripture. Emphases will be those dear to the pastor. In a new church, he repeats the same pattern.
Long-tenured pastors must go beyond favorite texts and topics just to keep from repeating themselves. Thus, they explore more of the Bible and preach more of the Word.
Influence in the community also increases for the long-term pastor. Long-term pastors are more likely to become a part of their communities. They become known and involved. The relationships formed allow them to influence community decisions as well as church decisions. Short-tenured pastors seldom have that opportunity.
No one can predict how God will lead in a pastor’s life. And, certainly, that leadership is paramount in making a decision about a field of service. However, one thing often overlooked in the process of determining God’s will for one’s ministry is the value of a long-term pastorate. Perhaps it is time to look again at the doors of ministry opportunities that open with a long tenure of service in a single church.
I am sure that Bro. A. Judson Jones would recommend it.
Share with others: