In preparation for some presbytery work, I recently came across a form used in the process of receiving new pastors into our denomination. The form is to be signed by a physician who must examine the candidate and then certify that they “will be able to sustain the physical and emotional demands of full-time professional ministry.” As it should be, we don’t see blood pressure or cholesterol numbers, just the certification that the candidate is good to go. But to help the physician in making the determination of fitness for ministry, the form provides eight points to consider:
- The average pastor works 50-plus hours per week.
- He/she normally works at least part of every day each week, at least one full day every weekend, and usually at least two evenings per week.
- The average pastor trains and manages the responsibilities of numerous volunteers and, in most cases, at least some paid staff.
- A ministry professional’s capacity to fulfill his/her ministry responsibilities is dependent in part upon his/her physical condition, and his/her body’s ability to handle stress and long hours of ministry.
- It is common for a ministry professional to place a higher priority on the health of others, rather than on his/her own health.
- The average pastor deals with constant gossip, regular conflict, higher unrealistic expectations than almost any other profession, and is often underpaid for his/her education and experience.
- Every person who attends a church — whether they contribute financially or not — considers himself an expert on the pastor’s “performance” and usually expresses that opinion to others … but not to the pastor.
- The emotional stress of being responsible for the satisfaction and well-being of anywhere from one hundred to several thousand people is much like your medical profession, except a pastor has to socialize with all of them after work.