Pastors Are People Too

We live in a society where we seem to hear more and more about clergy who are reputed to have fallen from grace. Whether discovered for having an affair, accused of mismanaging church funds, or entangled in a web of pornographic addiction, our ministers seem to be the ones who desperately need ministering. Why is this happening?

First of all, let’s be unequivocally clear. For the few that may become temporarily ensnared by these vices, there are countless others who are faithfully and uprightly walking out their God given calling while effectively leading those in their charge. Praise God for these heroes of our faith! But about those few…

The devil recognizes these are our spiritual superstars. That’s why he fights so unfairly targeting church leadership. He knows that if he can injure the head, then the body is often mortally wounded and left without direction. To disenfranchise the body of Christ, the devil is working overtime to attack our pastors and ministry leaders – and the fight has not been pretty.

As the church of the living God, we have a great responsibility to our ministers. It is more than standing idly by with arms crossed hoping they have the spiritual fortitude to withstand life’s temptations and finish the course with their reputations intact. Too often we expect them to handle life’s challenges without showing emotion or succumbing to worldly pressures like any other ordinary Christian. After all, this is their vocation, we reason, and they should know how to deal with these challenges if they are truly connected with God.

It’s time to acknowledge that pastors are real people too. They come in all varieties. Some pastors ride motorcycles, have tattoos, and wear jeans to church.  They like to hunt and fish, attend ballgames, and read non-Christian novels. They get stressed in traffic, wish they could sleep in on an occasional Sunday, and don’t like every aspect of their jobs. They cry, yell, get their feelings hurt, and sometimes feel very alone. They have spouses to please and families to attend to. And sometimes they wish they could shut off their cell phones and work a regular 40-hour week like the rest of us.

Pastors are confronted with additional stressors that come along with the turf. They live in the spotlight of scrutiny. They continually feel the pressure to perform and try to please everyone. Pastors typically have no one to entrust their secrets and struggles to. Their spouse and children have to constantly share them with everyone else’s family often to their own neglect. And whenever a pastor talks or teaches about money, the congregation places his personal integrity on trial.

We practically force pastors to live an undercover life when it comes to the books they read, music they listen to, concerts they attend, and movies or television programs they watch. We measure their lives according to the principles we enforce on them, while living our lives any way we want to.

So what can we do for our pastors? For starters, pray! All of heaven’s power is released when we prayerfully authorize God to do something on our behalf. Whatever good things you would pray over your life and family, pray for theirs similarly. Ask God to protect, provide, equip, empower, anoint, bless, and favor your pastor.

Be a friend. Invite the pastor out for a cup of coffee or have the family over for dinner. Have normal conversations with your pastor without giving everything a spiritual overtone. Generously express your gratitude for everything your pastor does. 

Pastors are real people too. They need your encouragement, trust, and support. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you sensitivity to know exactly how you can help and pray for your pastor.