Slow Down - For Younger Pastors - by Peter Bogert

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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Quite often we find these advice-giving writers offering their wisdom to pastors. Inevitably we discover that the problem being addressed is weariness, overwork, and/or the inability to stop being a pastor when at home or on vacation, etc, etc.

It is with unabashed certainty we declare that none of these problems would be problems if these pastors embraced the biblical model of leadership. There is nothing in the Bible about a pastor being the head guy atop the leadership structure of the local church. The biblical structure is a co-equal eldership:

1Pe. 5:1-3 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow-elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers — not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

Notice that there is nothing here about a pastor presiding over a flock, but rather elders/overseers/shepherds serving the flock. 

Some elders are particularly noteworthy:

1Ti. 5:17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.

There is but a single mention of pastor:

Ep. 4:11-13 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature...

Notice here that there are five gifts to the church, not one. This passage does not indicate these five are specifically leaders of the local church, but rather it suggests that they minister to the entire body of Christ in some fashion. The point is, there is no such thing as a singular leadership in the church with a credentialed professional leading the flock.

And that brings us back to the idea of burn-out. A traditional pastor, charged with preaching the sermons, praying all the prayers, coordinating the mechanics of church operation, leading elder/deacon meetings, visiting the sick, and shoveling the sidewalks of snow, is a pastor who will soon weary of the pastorate and quit or move on.

The author would probably not have to give this advice to struggling pastors if the church leadership model was not awry.

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How about you, Pastor? Are you “essential” or “non-essential?”

If you take the long view, you are very essential. According to Ephesians 4:1, God has given you to your church and your work is very important. (Let's quote the verses:

Ep. 4:1-2 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

This verse is not about pastoral calling or the "essential" work of a pastor. It is about Christians together and how they should act.)

But during this time when so much has closed down, when churches have canceled their meetings, when we’re encouraged to maintain social distancing – well, let’s face it: you’re probably not going to be feeling all that essential. (Hmm. This implies the pastor derives his worth from his work. If so, such a pastor ought to step down.)

I don’t pretend to know God’s mind. I do not understand why he has allowed this particular visitation. But if Romans 8:28 is true (and it is), perhaps there is something that pastors can gain from this crisis, and that is rest.

Pastors work long hours. Whether because of necessity or bad choices, pastors miss days off and don’t always take all their vacation time. (We would say that this is certainly because of bad choices.)

There’s always more to do. But now, with church closed or running on a reduced schedule, you don’t have as much to do.

Remember that your importance is not determined by how many hours you put in. “Oh I know that,” most pastors would say. Yeah. Most of us “know” that. Few of us act that way. We’ve got our to-do list, our plans, or vision, our whatever, and we keep running until, if we’re not careful, we’re running on empty. (Could this burnout be due to a faulty understanding of the biblical role of pastor?)

It doesn’t have to be that way. (We would agree. Most likely for quite different reasons.)

Be wise, dear Pastor. Take this opportunity to refresh. Spend more time with your family. Read some books that have been waiting your attention. Work where you need to, try to minister to your congregation (more on that Wednesday) as best as you can, but slow down. In a big way, slow down! Sleep in. Work from home more. Take a nap. Yes, you can use this time to catch up, but be smart. It would be so unfortunate to look back a few months from now and wish that you had used the opportunity to rest and refresh.

I hope that you stay free from illness. Probably the vast majority of people will avoid the coronavirus. I hope so anyway. But don’t avoid the opportunity to recalibrate that God is giving you during this time.

Maybe someday you’ll say that one of the good things that came from the coronavirus crisis (not to mention the Great Toilet Paper Chase of 2020) was that God made you lie down in green pastures, that he led you beside still water, and that he restored your soul (Psalm 23).