Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
I’m increasingly hearing calls for pastors to step back from pastoral care. Experts in church growth are claiming that one of the most important things to do to grow a church is for the pastor to cease involvement in pastoral care. It has been observed that pastoral care is one of the limiting factors for … Read More “Should Pastors Be Involved in Pastoral Care?” »
While pastoral ministry is a very rewarding career, it can easily lead to burnout. Back in 2010, The New York Times published an article on pastoral burnout. The findings have surfaced with ominous regularity over the last few years, and with little notice: Members of the clergy now suffer from obesity, hypertension and depression at … Read More “5 Ways For Pastors to Avoid Burnout” »
One of the reasons that some people are surprised by my autism diagnosis is my history of Christian ministry. I have worked as a pastor, chaplain and Bible teacher. All of those roles require social interaction. Since autism affects social interaction, I shouldn’t be able to do those things. Except I did and continue to … Read More “Can I Be a Pastor and Autistic?” »
There has been a recent article about a United Church of Canada minister who is an avowed atheist. The denomination is trying to determine if she is still effective in her ministry. For those unfamiliar with the UCC, it one of the most liberal denominations in Canada, although I know a number of strong evangelical … Read More “Atheists in the Pulpit” »
Being in pastoral ministry is one of the most rewarding careers available. At the same time it is stressful and there are all too many cases of burnout. Pastoral ministry does not have to lead to burnout. There are some steps that you can take that will help to keep you healthy. 1. Focus on your … Read More “5 Tips to Prevent Pastor Burnout” »
I have pastored for twenty years and I recommend it as one way to serve God. I had an extremely positive experience but there are certain things that people should understand before beginning a career as a pastor. 1. Your family will not have a pastor This is one of the most important things you must … Read More “5 Things to Know Before You Become a Pastor” »
I recently blogged on how I understand the call to ministry. I mentioned in passing that I felt called to ministry (even though I understand that call differently now) but that now I am not in congregational ministry. I was ordained as a pastor with the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec. I pastored at … Read More “What Does It Mean to Be an Ex-Pastor?” »
The question of God’s call to ministry is something that has very much been on my mind. The reason for this is that I truly believed that God called me into the ministry and yet today I am not a pastor of a congregation. Am I disobeying God’s call on my life? The deciding … Read More “Does God Call People into the Ministry?” »
