Should he confess to the church?
Probably not. Just tell the Lord and seek His guidance and blessing. Then let him rearrange his schedule, get the support of his spouse and one or two co-workers, and get on with it.
His ministry time may be evenly divided between sermon study, administration and personal ministry. (The last means simply to get out of the office and touch lives for Jesus!)
Should the pastor tell other ministers about this change?
Not for a year. He should show the Lord, the church and himself he is serious about this redirection before telling others. Then, when he does share it, he will want to ask the Lord when and how.
Keep telling yourself, pastor, that you are “more than a conqueror through Him who loved us.” You can get this right.
One final thing.
Guard against the perfectionistic ideal which keeps insisting that nothing you do is acceptable since it is imperfect. That standard, which appears so noble on the surface, is your worst enemy.
Keep Psalm 103:14 before you: “He Himself knows our frame. He is mindful that we are but dust.” God is under no illusions about you and me. Were He expecting perfection from any of us, He would have given up in disgust a long time ago. He knows He got no bargain when He saved us. When we sin, the only one surprised is us.
But serve Him anyway. He is a God of grace and mercy.
Every day of your life, give thanks for that!
