Journal: Journal of Ministry and Theology
Volume: JMAT 10:2 (Fall 2006)
Article: Learning to Pray as a Shepherd
Author: Mark McGinniss

JMAT 10:2 (Fall 2006) p. 33

Learning to Pray as a Shepherd

Mark McGinniss

Assistant Professor of Old Testament
Literature, Language, and Exegesis
Baptist Bible Seminary, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania

The purpose of this article is to give pastors and Christian leaders a pattern of prayer to follow when they experience various stressful situations in leadership. This model of prayer will come from David’s individual laments in the book of Psalms. In his individual lament psalms David, a leader of God’s people, found himself in various deep distresses. In response to his anguish David cried from the depths of his soul to God in prayer. When David lamented his desperate situation to God, he found divine care and strength in every situation.

Today Christian leaders need to find the same divine care and solace David found as they experience similar stresses in their ministries. The individual lament psalms of David provide Christian leaders with a pattern to follow in their prayers so they can experience the same divine concern that David enjoyed.

Introduction

As Richard D. Floyd notes well, pastors are at risk: “Nearly one half of all those who enter the ministry will quit within five years. This is true of mission agencies, as well as local church and extension ministries.”1 In a 1991 survey of pastors the Fuller Institute of Church Growth presented statistics that give numerical evidence that pastors in the ministry are at risk:

90% work more than 46 hours a week
80% believed pastoral ministry affected their families negatively
33% believed ministry was a hazard to their family

JMAT 10:2 (Fall 2006) p. 34

75% reported a significant stress related crisis at least once in their ministry
50% felt themselves unable to meet the needs of the job
90% felt inadequately trained to cope with ministry demands
70% say they have a lower self esteem now compared to when they started in ministry
40% reported serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month
37% confessed to having been involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with someone in the church
70% do not have someone they consider a close friend2

After viewing these statistics and hearing of self-destruction in the ministry, Don Whitney asks “Is there a connection between the moral failures or moribund feelings of the American ministers just mentioned and a chronic spiritual marasmus? To put it another way, is moral weakness a sign of spiritual weakness? Is ministerial burnout ever a symptom of spiritual coolness?”You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
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