Most pastors don’t have other ways to keep busy, so they stay at a church too long to stave off the boredom and the feelings of uselessness that often accompany it.
6. A Desire to Stay in Control
In a previous article, Dealing With Control Freaks In The Small Church, I noted that control freaks aren’t just in the pews of small churches, they’re often in the pulpit. We have to let go when our time is over.
7. A False Sense of Their Own Irreplaceability
Too many pastors think the church can’t make it without them.
But the church can. And it will.
And if not, that speaks more poorly about the pastor than the church.
8. Family Complications
From raising kids, to living as a married couple, to in-laws, to caring for elderly parents and more, family life can be a big challenge — one that’s often hidden from the eyes of congregation members and denominational leaders.
The stability of a long-term pastorate, even one that’s static or declining, can be a haven from an otherwise difficult life.
9. Fear
It’s scary to leave the safety of the familiar. Especially if you’ve been in the same church for a long time A lot has changed in the outside world since you started in ministry, and facing that reality is something not all pastors are willing to do.
So What Now?
Wow, that’s a lot. And it’s not everything.
If you have other reasons pastors sometimes overstay, let me know in the comments.
So what can be done about this?
That’s what I tackle in my follow-up article, How Not To Overstay Your Pastoral Calling. In that article, I give answers to each of these problems.
This article outlining some reasons why some pastors overstay their calling originally appeared here, and is used by permission.
