DISTBAP – Not What It Seems
DISTBAP – Not What It Seems
Jun 14
There are a couple things I’ve learned on this road of ministry, the first being things are not always as they appear. As I explained in an earlier post, my first positioning in full-time ministry was in a very large church. It was wonderful to be wanted by such amazing organization. The church boasted a membership roll over 9000 with five locations. I came on staff to be the Junior high pastor but within a few months everyone on the youth staff had quit. Much of the decisions to seek other employment were made quickly and with little forewarning. In a short meeting with the senior pastor and other executive staff I was handed the responsibilities from the Junior high ministry to the college ministry.
I remember dreaming of what life would be like the day I was given “real” responsibility in a major church organization. Lying on my bed in the dorms of O.R.U. I never imagined that the moment would come so suddenly and so quickly. I had only been out of the class room a little over a year and most of my context for ministry was theoretical. This type of responsibility, real life stuff, was somewhat foreign to me. I knew I was called to ministry, I had a very good education both theological and practical, yet nothing could have prepared me for the next 10 months.
As you can imagine, in an organization of size there are certain expectations in place. The youth group I was now overseeing had been 300 strong only a few years prior. A few youth pastors later and the crowd had dwindled to around 40 kids. Mostly the children of fellow staffers and a few committed few where all that was left of the once phenomenal youth program.
I was told one story after another as to “why” the program had dwindled. There is a funny thing that happens when a staff member leaves an organization, at least an unhealthy one. As the reasoning for the downfall began to leak out I noticed negativity in each shared story. From what was being spoken one might believe that each previous staffer had unique and devastating moral failings, Each was incompetent, some where crooks, and others were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m sure some of these concerns about previous staffers had some validity but more often than not these were just exaggerated reflections. When people leave a church, good or bad, it’s almost as if reason is gives for others to finally say what they were thinking. And if you are the new guy and ask the question “what happened” be prepared for the allocations to fly.
Things are not always as they seem. Few times have I seen a transition in ministry where each side responded healthy, especially those fringe parties like coworkers and acquaintances. If you are the new guy take what you hear with a grain of salt. If you are the one leaving expect some of the lingering roomers to be unfair and a bit bitting. I don’t believe people act this way on purpose or consciously, rather our need to sensationalize the past helps expand truth and past reality.
Dose it suck to be a pastor? That depends are you the bright and shinny new guy, fresh on the job or are you the pastor moving on to fulfill your calling else where. Depending on what side of the coin you are on may taint your perspective.
