I've seen too many people in vocational ministry fail to launch.
Perhaps "launch" is not the best term, because they may stay in ministry for many years. But they never seem to do well. They never seem to have peace. They seem like they are always trying to prove something.
I recently went through my old seminary pictorial directory. I was able to locate 47 people I knew in seminary who I know where they are today. Of that 47, only eight remained in ministry. If you are doing the math, that is an 83 percent dropout rate. Vocational ministry is a calling. It is not just another vocation. If you enter ministry for the wrong reasons, it is likely you will not do well. Indeed, it is likely you will not make it.
What are some of the terrible reasons to enter vocational ministry? Here are five of the most common failures:
1. Escape from a secular job. I know a man who has a huge desire to work full-time in ministry for a church. But the only reason he ever articulates is his hatred of his middle management secular job. He sees ministry vocation only as an escape from the problems of corporate work. I hope his heart changes before he makes the leap.
2. Fulfilling family expectations. About one-third of my peers who dropped out of ministry came from families in vocational ministry. Don't hear me wrongly. It is admirable to see multiple generations in ministry for the right reasons. But too many in ministry feel compelled to enter that world because of family pressure. One peer of mine told me, "Dad called me into ministry, not God."
3. When your spouse is not supportive. Vocational ministry is demanding and can be exhausting. If ministers do not have the support of their spouses, their lives will be miserable from the point of entering vocational ministry. For those of you who have supportive spouses in ministry like me, count your blessings.
4. Not theologically prepared. I recently heard a man preach a sermon that had, sadly, several biblical and theological errors. Those errors did not go unnoticed by many members in the congregation. The role of teaching and preaching in ministry is not to be held lightly. Do not enter ministry theologically unprepared.
5. Skewed views of the demands of ministry. I was in a conversation with a 30-something pastor who came into ministry from the secular world. His words went something like this:
"I had this idea that I would have all this free time and short work weeks. Ministry seemed like a piece of cake compared to the world I was coming from. I couldn't have been more wrong. It is unbelievably demanding. I am on call 24-hours a day whether I admit it or not."
For those who enter vocational ministry for the right reasons, the work can be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. For those who don't, the frustration will seem unbearable, and the failure rate is high.
This article was originally published at ThomRainer.com on June 26, 2017. Thom S. Rainer serves as president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Among his greatest joys are his family: his wife Nellie Jo; three sons, Sam, Art, and Jess; and nine grandchildren. Dr. Rainer can be found on Twitter @ThomRainer and at facebook.com/Thom.S.Rainer.
