This hurts…on a bunch of levels

according to a recent study looking into the private lives of pastors,  well…let’s just say the statistics are pretty sad:

1. 80% of pastors feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as a pastor

2. 50% of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.

3. 70% of pastors constantly fight depression.

4. 80% of seminary and bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first 5 years.

5. 33%  felt burned out in their first five years of ministry.

6. 61%  admit they have very few close friends.

being a skeptic of surveys and studies by nature,  i think we need to be careful that we don’t draw any wholesale conclusions.   never-the-less,  these stats are really disturbing for my fraternity of most holy reverends.

willow creek is one of the biggest of the big-dog churches around.   their answer to this depressing condition?  a seven-week online course where you can be mentored by famous ministers through your computer and join a web-based community of other discouraged pastors…and,  as they say in their promotion,  “you can finally become the leader you were created to be.”

seems kinda sad that the only hope we have is in a computer.

maybe its time to reconsider the whole pastor thing,  don’tcha think?   maybe there’s something inherently wrong with the system…

and for the record,  i can do other things to make money.   i know how to drive a mean bus.

#depression #pastor