September 3, 2025
Managing Ministry Tensions
Dealing with various tensions is a reality in ministry. And experiencing tension often leads to stress and fatigue. These issues must be managed.
Articles for tag: Ministry Stress
Solutions for Ministry Stress
The fear of the Lord leads to a life of holiness and obedience, while the comfort of the Holy Spirit brings peace and strength amid trials. These two spiritual qualities enable us to be all God wants us to be as we seek to live out Jesus' mission.
October 28, 2021
Study Finds No Change in Senior Pastors Leaving Ministry, Despite COVID-19 Challenges
A comparison of Lifeway Research studies from 2015 and 2021 indicates that, despite the challenges of COVID-19, there has been virtually no change in the number of evangelical and historically Black Protestant senior pastors leaving the pulpit each year.
January 29, 2019
The ‘Package Deal’: How to Choose a New Church Leader and His Wife
By Melissa Brandes After many months, the search committee finally zeroes in on their top choice for pastor. The formal interview goes very well. He seems a perfect fit. “Trial sermon” Sunday arrives. He preaches a solid biblical message with a great application. Later that afternoon, church leaders’ spouses take the potential pastor’s wife out for coffee while the men go boating on a lake. That evening, an elder asks his wife about the candidate’s spouse, but she hesitates. “She’s interesting,” the elder’s wife finally says, but not enthusiastically. “I guess she’s pleasant enough. Honestly I just don’t know her
January 22, 2017
6 Secrets Leaders Share
By Alan Ahlgrim Every person can relate to being at the end of his or her rope””especially leaders! But realizing that secrets like these are common to many can lead to solutions and calm. Secrets””everyone has them. I”ve been close to a group of business entrepreneurs for years. We used to gather every week for lunch, now we connect every few months and it”s always a grand reunion. Recently, as we finished our sandwiches in a business conference room, I interrupted the chatter by reading a passage from Matthew 5. When I asked what stood out the most in this teaching
January 14, 2017
Strategic Solutions for Significant Stages
By Jennifer Johnson Writers of short-think pieces like this one love to quote statistics about the hundreds or even thousands of pastors who are leaving the ministry each month. However, as Ed Stetzer pointed out on his blog last October, those provocative numbers have yet to be backed up with any solid data or reliable sources. In fact, actual recent surveys, like the September 2015 study conducted by LifeWay Research, show that while the demands of pastoring a church can frequently feel “overwhelming” to more than 50 percent of senior pastors, the vast majority (92 percent!) also feel regularly encouraged
August 12, 2013
What about the Preacher”s Family?
By Dennis Bratton Fifty percent of preachers” marriages will end in divorce. Eighty percent of preachers believe pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families. Thirty-three percent say being in the ministry is an outright hazard to their family. Local churches can change this picture. Here are some simple ideas any congregation can follow to make sure their preacher”s family is an example for every family. Preachers live in a continuum of unfinished tasks. At the end of nearly every day, the preacher can think of calls he needs to return, a sermon or lesson he needs to write, someone who requires a personal visit,
June 7, 2006
The Apostle”s Ministry”“and Mine
A weekly task list can breed weariness and self-pity. Mark A. Taylor looks to Paul’s hardships in 2 Corinthians to reset perspective and remember that comfort won’t satisfy like serving others does.
3 WOMEN IN MINISTRY: ‘I Couldn’t Be More Thrilled’
Linda Ahlgrim reflects on stepping into an “interim” children’s ministry director role, serving on the same church staff as her husband, and persevering through the constant pressure of recruiting volunteers—while finding deep joy in shaping young lives.
