EDITORIAL
In the Trenches | Eric Geiger
Many times, I’ve heard business leaders in churches reference “the real world” as if those on church staff were not living in it. As if we were somehow unaware of what real work looks like, what real pressure feels like and how a real organization is led. I’ve heard comments such as:
“In the real world, we don’t get a day off.”
“In the real world, our office hours are longer.”
“In the real world, we don’t get paid unless …”
Before becoming the senior pastor of Mariners Church, I spent seven years serving as an executive leader in a publishing company. I have experience in both ministry and marketplace environments, and I confidently insist leading in a church context is much more challenging.
The Burden
When Paul listed his persecutions and sufferings, he concluded with the daily pressure he felt for the churches (2 Cor. 11:28). The burden of loving and leading a church was more intense than the flogging and the stoning. The burden is a blessing as we get to shepherd God’s people, teach his truth and help people encounter his grace, but the burden never goes away, as a pastor is never not the pastor.
The Enemy
The Enemy, the Evil One, hates believers. He is the accuser, the one who steals, kills and destroys (John 10:10), and the one who prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Because a local church is a gathering of believers, the Enemy is against her. Thus, the spiritual battles surrounding a local church and her leaders are fierce.
The Responsibility
The responsibility of a church leader is to prepare all of God’s people for ministry, to hand ministry over to others, and to engage an army of volunteers in using their gifts to serve others (Eph. 4:11–12). While the mandate is essential, it is not easy. It’s massively challenging to gather a group of volunteers, train them and align them around a shared mission. It takes more than positional authority on an org chart, a paycheck or the promise of a promotion. It takes deep conviction and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. I once heard John Maxwell say, “If you want to test someone’s real leadership, have him lead a team of volunteers.” Church leaders do so daily.
And these challenges are greatest for small church pastors. They carry the same burden, face the same Enemy and live with the same mission of equipping God’s people to serve as larger churches. And they do so without a team that helps shoulder the weight or with a smaller team serving alongside them. Pastors of small churches are heroes. I am often in awe of their strength, resolve and persistence.
All work can be spiritual, so I am not advocating that pastoring is “more spiritual.” I am insisting that the blessed burden ministry leaders face is significant and often not understood.