10. Angry Pastors Do Lasting Harm to Churches. Every church I know formerly led by an angry pastor declined in attendance and rarely returned to its previous level of impact. Also, future leadership teams began making decisions in light of “not wanting to go down that road again.” Ironically, the previous angry pastor is still impacting decisions being made.
11. Angry Pastors Lack Self-Awareness. They have a perverted sense of being right and everyone else is wrong. Here is a tip to know if you are preaching in an angry manner—watch your sermons with the volume down. What are your mannerisms and facial expressions communicating?
12. Angry Pastors Need a Counselor. They have personal issues they need to deal with.
13. Angry Pastors May Need a New Profession. I have heard pastors state their primary calling is to break the legs of the sheep, place the sheep over their shoulders and carry them back to the herd. No compassion. No empathy. No mercy. Well, no problem because you will ultimately have no job.
If you are an angry pastor, here are a five steps you need to take TODAY:
- Repent of your sin.
- Apologize to all those you have offended. You will need to this in each of the following: one-on-one conversations, to staff and leadership teams, and most likely to the congregation during a Sunday sermon.
- Seek professional assistance. Contact a Christian counselor and work through your issues.
- Become a learner. Get some leadership training, particularly in the areas of emotional intelligence and people skills.
- Bring accountability into your life. Have the leaders in your church partner with you on a solution to this issue.
You most likely still have time to repair your ministry because your congregation does not want to fire you. But if you stay angry, they will.
