ELEVEN REASONS PASTORS ARE
TRUSTED LESS TODAY
A day does not pass that I do not
hear from a hurting pastor. Serving in that role has to be one of the most
challenging vocations today. Sure, there are some bad and immoral pastors. But
the vast majority of our pastors serve their congregations in a way that honors
God and makes a difference in the community.
But both anecdotally and by
objective research, we learn that pastors are trusted less and held in lower
esteem each year. A recent Pew Research poll found that the favorable view of
clergy had declined to 37 percent of those surveyed.
Why are pastors no longer held in
high esteem? What is behind the precipitous drop in favorable ratings almost
every year? Allow me to offer eleven possible reasons. As you will see, they
are not mutually exclusive.
The moral failures of a minority
of pastors receive widespread coverage. The media loves the sensational stories
behind clergy failure. For sure, some stories such as sex abuse should be
brought to the public eye. But many people now believe the bad behavior of a
few is normative for all pastors.
Our nation has marginalized the
Christian faith. So it should not be unexpected that leaders in the Christian
world are viewed more negatively.
Pastoral tenure has dropped
significantly over the past few decades. Tenure is up slightly the past few
years, but the longer trend is down. Trust is built over several years, not two
or three years. Fewer pastors have made it to the point of several years.
Some church members have a strong
entitlement mentality. They see the local congregation as a place largely to
meet their needs and desires, rather than to serve and give. If those needs and
desires are not met, the pastor is often the locus of blame.
Social media encourages criticism
from a distance. There is much commendable about social media. Indeed, I am
heavy user of it. But it also is a means for critics to sound off about pastors
(and others) without forethought or consequences.
A few pastors have poor work
ethics. More pastors are just the opposite; they fight workaholism. But the few
pastors who are lazy and have little accountability hurt the perceptions people
have of other pastors.
Pastors are often the scapegoats
for fear and change. It is cliché to say the world is changing rapidly. Many
church members would like their churches to remain the same every year. Such a
reality is not possible, and the pastor is often the scapegoat for the
discomfort that comes with change.
There is a pervasive cynicism in
our society. The reasons behind that reality are many. But congregations and
their leaders are not immune from this widespread and pervasive cynicism on
society that seems to be growing.
There is a failure of some
pastors in two key areas: leadership and emotional intelligence. Some pastors
are well prepared biblically and theologically. But some have not been taught
leadership and healthy interpersonal skills.
There are higher expectations
today for pastors to be competent, even dynamic, leaders. But, as I noted in
the previous point, some pastors have no preparation to be leaders of churches.
More churches are dying in America
today. I estimate as many as 100,000 churches in America are dying. Many will
close their doors in the next few years. Many of the pastors of these churches
are blamed for this malady.
I love pastors. Most pastors are
wonderful servants of God, yet their plights are often very difficult.
What do you think of these eleven
reasons? What would you add?
And allow me one footnote: please
pray for your pastor.
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