I know a few of those (ahem) big-shot pastors. And I know some things about them they don’t advertise.
That said, here is my list of what celebrity pastors feel that would surprise you.
(These are generalizations, of course, and do not fit all megachurch pastors. However, you might be surprised to know how many they do fit!)
1. A sense of inadequacy.
It goes like this: “All the usual indicators say we’re going a great job, but if that’s the case, why do I feel like a failure, as though I’m missing something as clear as the nose on my face? Maybe what I’m doing with God’s call is not such a good idea after all. But what about all those people who depend on me for their livelihood and those who say they look to me as their pastor?”
2. A nagging sense of failure.
Even though the numbers (attendance, budget, etc.) are in the Star Wars category. The pastor feels there has to be more, “something we are missing.”
Not only does the pastor feel inadequate, but he feels the ministry is missing something huge. Are we really changing people’s lives? Are we making disciples of Jesus or just friends? What else should we be doing? What should we begin and what should we cancel?
3. A fear that all this acclaim will dry up.
And then who am I?
4. A sense of guilt.
Which takes many forms.
He worries that he is being idolized instead of Jesus.
He worries that his megachurch is siphoning off members from the smaller churches in the area, and while his ego once fed on that, these days there is this nagging feeling that something about this is not right. Some of those people were active in the leadership of Shiloh Number Two, but now that they have joined BigOne, they occupy a pew.
He feels guilty when people call him “pastor” since, while he preaches to thousands, he actually pastors very few people.
Some of these pastors hate the acclaim they are receiving. And yet they are addicted to it.
A no-win situation.
