7. Moral Failure.
This is too often the cause for pastors leaving the ministry. Lying, slothfulness, adultery and coveting tend to lead the list.
Nothing is more devastating to the Kingdom or the local church. A pastor’s sin has the potential of touching and affecting a myriad of lives. One fall and an entire church or even an entire community can be discouraged from Christ.
Encouragement: Don’t be busy about Kingdom work and forget Kingdom life. Rise early to pray (Mark 1:35). Refuse to turn in for bed on Saturday night until you are affected with the sermon you will preach Sunday morning.
Allow others the freedom to confront you! Your own personal holiness, by God’s grace and according to the work of the Spirit, must be your greatest pursuit. Know and believe what Robert Murray Mc’Cheyne said, “My people’s greatest need is my own personal holiness.” Without a holy pastor they will be like “sheep without a shepherd.” As William Still said, “It is the godly character which is the real pastor, or is the basis of him.”
Perseverance in the ministry will always be a challenge. And in many ways it should be. This itself is a blessing.
However, it seems that each year we lose a lot of good men due to one of the reasons above. We should know these trials to ministry, seek to actively combat them, and discuss them with every seminarian and young pastor. Who knows, there may be a few more that persevere as a result. And what a blessing that would be for the Church.
