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We previously critiqued this author here. There we noted he was explaining and defending an unbiblical version of church leadership, the CEO pastor. He continues to do so in the below article.
We need to state unequivocally, there's only one biblical job for a pastor: Care of the flock. All of the pastor-hyphen categories delineated below (except perhaps Pastor-Counselor) are indications that the person is not a pastor.
The author attributes pastor burnout to not liking parts of the pastor's job. However, we believe pastors burn out because they're piling on duties based on unrealistic expectations and a false understanding of church leadership.
The author concludes by suggesting that a pastor should pursue more of the things that connect him with his proclivities. We would think that better advice would be to study and practice what one is not good at to become better at it. A body builder should not skip leg day simply because he doesn't like it.
Lastly, the author doesn't quote a single Scripture. The Bible is completely absent.
A seminary professor shares the 60/40 rule. To oversimplify, the rule means this: You must enjoy at least 60% of your work to justify remaining at your present employer. According to the rule, if you dislike 40% or more of what you do, it might be time for a new job.
Like the rule? Some people don’t. I shared it with a regular attendee of my church over lunch and he quickly pushed back, and I don’t think he returned to church. Although the 60/40 rule is easy to criticize, it teaches us about the nature of productivity: to be effective for the long haul, your work must energize you.
Although pastoral endurance in hard times or hard callings needs to be considered, if you dislike 40% or more of the current work you do, you are possibly en route to burnout.
Much has been written about spiritual gifts and personality tests, both of which receive a fair amount of criticism. The reason why I don’t dislike either is because I’m a fan of anything that increases my self-awareness, imperfect though they are. Productivity gurus write about working in your “sweet spot,” which means doing tasks you enjoy, and that create the most value for your organization. Every pastor must prioritize biblical priorities, but not every pastor is wired the same. To understand how to work in your pastoral sweet spot, you need to know what kind of pastor you are.
Let me give you some examples of “types” of pastors. This list is suggestive, not exhaustive. Hopefully, you’ll resonate with at least one type, but you’ll likely resonate with multiple types. Understanding how God has wired you will help you better understand how to allocate your time.
Pastor-Theologian or Pastor-Scholar
Michael Kruger has a helpful article that distinguishes between various kinds of pastor-scholars. Pastor-Scholars love to study academic theology and wish more Christians cared about the deep things of God. You have at least an MDiv. You also have a PhD or you may desire to obtain one. You love the life of the mind. If you go one or two days without reading for at least 90 minutes, something feels missing. Your sermons are meaty and theological. You love reading books by dead guys in your theological tradition.
Pastor-Counselor
You enjoy pre-martial counseling, marriage counseling, and all other forms of counseling. Meeting with people and discussing feelings, emotions, and personal issues energizes you. You enjoy reading Christian and secular counseling books. You know what “nouthetic” means. You walk into a room and can feel what others are feeling without a word spoken.
Pastor-Leader
You love all things leadership. You love investing in the next generation of leaders. You enjoy staff meetings, delegation, giving feedback, and seeing other leaders grow. You feel a deep sense of obligation to the health of the church staff. You devour resources like the Craig Groeschel Leadership podcast, love talking about the vision and mission of your church, and try to mention the vision of your church in each sermon. You enjoy the occasional business book.
Pastor-Writer
You love writing. Even if very few read it, you are content with writing, but you likely have seen some fruit. You have a website or blog where you publish regularly. You have at least one book published or you are an aspiring author.
Pastor-Evangelist
You love evangelism, and apologetics, and often talk about living on “mission.” You frequently discuss the importance of making disciples with your church. You may have even planted your church, and have led your church to be a church-planting church. You often talk about being salt and light in the world. You love your city. Local outreach is important to you. You feel like you’re doing something wrong if your church members aren’t being zealous in evangelism. You preach the gospel in every sermon.
Pastor-Preacher
You love sermon prep. It never feels like a drain to you. You can preach multiple times per week, on multiple days, and find it rewarding. You regularly read preaching books. You know what an FCF is. Homiletical books that speak to the structure and methodology of putting together a sermon are enjoyable to you. You consider preaching and teaching to be your most important responsibility.
Productivity and Pastoral Self-Awareness
Here’s what I’m not saying: I’m not saying you can neglect the basic duties of pastoring in the name of self-fulfillment or avoid all undesirable tasks. Every pastor will occasionally need to do tasks he doesn’t like doing. Identifying what kind of pastor you are doesn’t excuse you from unwanted tasks, but reinforces what energizes you. Productivity, for the long haul, is not merely restricted to attacking a long to-do list every day, but also about doing work you enjoy. Stated differently, productivity is not just about accomplishment, but also enjoyment.
If you’re a pastor-scholar, spend time reading academic theology. Consider getting a PhD and getting involved with writing academic papers.
If you’re a pastor-evangelist, be proactive with local outreach and evangelism.
If you’re a pastor-leader, schedule regular time with other men in the church, raising up new leaders.
If you feel drained in ministry, it might be because you’re not allocating enough time toward tasks that energize you. Know how God has wired you, and make time in your schedule for things you love doing in ministry.
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