Pastoral Turnover And The Call To Preach -- By: Paul V. Harrison

Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 44:1 (Mar 2001)
Article: Pastoral Turnover And The Call To Preach
Author: Paul V. Harrison


Pastoral Turnover And The Call To Preach

Paul V. Harrison*

[* Paul V. Harrison is pastor of Cross Timbers Free Will Baptist Church in Nashville, TN and adjunct professor of church history at Free Will Baptist Bible College, 3606 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37205.]

One of the problems facing contemporary Christianity is pastoral turnover. On the average about every three or four years a U-Haul backs up to the parsonage, and minister and family relocate to another field of work. These ministerial changes have traditionally been viewed as blights upon the churches involved. As Richard Mather (1596–1669) noted: “ … when such things doe often and frequently fall out, it is doubtlesse a Judgement of God upon such a people to have so many changes in their Ministers.” 1 Whether resulting from divine judgment or not, in general, pastoral turnover is a bad thing, causing untold harm to God’s churches and God’s servants.

First, it is harmful to the individual churches involved. Church members suffer during the interim period. They often have strife over the selection process in acquiring a new leader. The immature in the faith often become discouraged and drop out, sometimes joining the congregation down the street but often quitting church altogether.

Another way that churches are harmed through frequent pastoral turnover is that people fail to establish deep relationships with their pastors. They are therefore often unwilling to share their innermost problems. They even come to expect pastoral turnover with some regularity. As a result members of the pastor’s family are many times viewed as outsiders, visiting for a time to fill the need of the congregation. If the people like the minister and his family, they guard against becoming too attached because they know that he will in all likelihood in a few short years break their hearts and leave. If they dislike him, there is no need for them to become overly upset, for no doubt he will be replaced before too long.

Churches are also hurt through pastoral turnover in that the minister’s roots into the unchurched community are severed. Pastoral transitions generally diminish effectiveness. Win Arn wrote that it is foolish

to think of a physician, dentist, or other professional moving his/her place of practice from one city to another every four years, and expecting to have a

growing and loyal customer base. What makes us think pastors can expect any long-term influence on a community by moving every four years? Of course, pastoral longevity, by itself, does not produce growth. But there is little doubt that rapid ...

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