How long a Pastor stays/serves at a given church

2Timothy2:15

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I only want to say this, if your church is happy with your pastor, fine. But there is nothing wrong with hearing from others.

I know a church I attended when I was a child. This "pastor" served at this church for almost 50 years. They never sought out another. Upon retiring, the renamed the church after him.

Now, the pastors sons are the pastor, and soon to be pastor, there.

That is entirely too long.

The Methodists here where I live have a policy that no pastor serves more than 4 years at any one church. I personally think this is a good idea.

I would list the problems I have been through with my church but I'm not going to go over that again.

God Bless

Till all are one.

While it is admirable for a pastor to serve 50 years at a church and is desired provided he is a good pastor I tend to tip an eyebrow at the last part. The part where his son takes over. That sounds a lot like nepotism, which is a real problem. This is what we see a lot of. Pastors building their own personal kingdoms then passing down the "franchise" to their children. This is especially apparent when there are those the Lord has raised up that are clearly more gifted to pastor yet the son takes the spot. Take away the money source and the problem is solved entirely. There is no reason a pastor can't work a normal job and pastor. Pastoring is not a career or a job, it is a function in the body.
 
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Hammster

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While it is admirable for a pastor to serve 50 years at a church and is desired provided he is a good pastor I tend to tip an eyebrow at the last part. The part where his son takes over. That sounds a lot like nepotism, which is a real problem. This is what we see a lot of. Pastors building their own personal kingdoms then passing down the "franchise" to their children. This is especially apparent when there are those the Lord has raised up that are clearly more gifted to pastor yet the son takes the spot. Take away the money source and the problem is solved entirely. There is no reason a pastor can't work a normal job and pastor. Pastoring is not a career or a job, it is a function in the body.
I'm still waiting for any scriptural evidence to support this.
 
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2Timothy2:15

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I'm still waiting for any scriptural evidence to support this.

Which part? I gave several scriptural references to the fact Pastors are suppose to work just like everyone else. How much evidence do you need? Starting wonder if you actually went and read any of it.
 
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Hammster

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Which part? I gave several scriptural references to the fact Pastors are suppose to work just like everyone else. How much evidence do you need? Starting wonder if you actually went and read any of it.
I must have missed the references. I'll go back and try to find them.
 
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Hammster

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Acts 18, acts 20, 1 Corinthians 9, 1 Thessalonians 2:9. There are actually others but there is an overwhelmingly abundance of scriptural support that Paul and others worked
Supporting that Paul worked does not support that pastors shouldn't be paid.
 
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DeaconDean

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While it is admirable for a pastor to serve 50 years at a church and is desired provided he is a good pastor I tend to tip an eyebrow at the last part. The part where his son takes over. That sounds a lot like nepotism, which is a real problem. This is what we see a lot of. Pastors building their own personal kingdoms then passing down the "franchise" to their children. This is especially apparent when there are those the Lord has raised up that are clearly more gifted to pastor yet the son takes the spot. Take away the money source and the problem is solved entirely. There is no reason a pastor can't work a normal job and pastor. Pastoring is not a career or a job, it is a function in the body.

I agreed with you up to this point.

Scriptures teach that "pastor" is a gift of the Spirit. Having been Pastorial minister for my church, I can vouch that it is a full time job.

But I also agree that there is no reason why a Pastor can't have a full time job as well. I have known many in 40 plus years who did this.

God Bless

Till all are one.
 
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thank you for the answer. so far, this is the closest response I have gotten pertaining to my question (though the others are valid too )

Still trying to get an idea of how long pastors stay at a given church. Looking for more replies ( as I get ready to go to Sunday school/service ) .

You're welcome. The posts seemed to be getting away from your question about length of stay and on to whether pastors should be paid. As regards length of stay, every pastor is different and every church is different.

Gillian
 
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Show me where any pastor "retired" in the bible? Just the fact we think it is normal for a pastor to retire is a western mindset coming from culture and not from the bible. If someone is called to be a pastor they are a for life. Not until they hit an age and want to play golf. I would love to hear these pastors explaining retirement to the apostles that were martyred.

FYI- Pastors around where I live get paid for funerals and weddings. Generally it is 300 dollars. You should not have to get paid for a sermon anyhow. Like Jeremiah said it burns in my bones. A sermon should be as natural as breathing for any pastor. That is unless they go to sermonindex and plagiarize other people sermons...in that case they have a lot more free time eh....

This sounds like a very narrow view of a pastor.

Gillian
 
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2Timothy2:15

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This sounds like a very narrow view of a pastor.

Gillian


Show me with scripture that it is a narrow view. It is easy to make statements like that yet not back them up and I mean that will all due respect. I have given tons of scriptural reference that pastors are to work and provide for themselves. There is no indication of the notion of the full time paid pastor anywhere in the NT.

13Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
 
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Dave-W

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Show me with scripture that it is a narrow view.
The word only appears ONCE in scripture; and comes with this job description:

Eph 4.11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,
12 to equip his 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, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Do you see "sermon" mentioned anywhere in there?
 
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2Timothy2:15

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The word only appears ONCE in scripture; and comes with this job description:

Eph 4.11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,
12 to equip his 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, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Do you see "sermon" mentioned anywhere in there?

Hmm, that is not a job description it is a function. Why is only pastors the one in the list that say they are justified to take a full time salary. Evangelist and teachers, prophets, no salaries. The apostles did not take salaries either. It says right there in the scripture that they are to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, they are NOT the ministry. What we see today is pastors who we say do the "ministry". That chunk of scripture is not in support of a full time pastor but just the opposite because it says these people are to equip the saints so the saints can do the ministry. This does not say, they give sermons and are the ministry so pay them.
 
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nonaeroterraqueous

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1 What are the reasons for a Pastor leaving his church and are they good reasons?
2 how long does, or should, a Pastor be at a given church?
3 it is my opinion that we should have Pastors in place for long periods of time. This shows stability.

I can only offer my personal experience, which isn't statistically relevant. The average pastor in my experience typically stays four to five years, which is about the same as the average longevity for a person in any job around here. As for how long he should stay, I think of it as a matter of inspiration, like novelists who suddenly don't feel inspired to write, or songwriters who run out of songs to write. Sometimes pastors run out of sermons, so to speak. I had a pastor who had to retire after getting up to the pulpit and feeling that he had nothing to say for several weeks in a row. It was time to stop when God stopped providing the inspiration. I can't give a blanket range to cover all pastors, because I can't say that everyone gets the same longevity in inspiration.

Why do pastors leave? I don't know. The reasons they give are always either vague or insufficient. I do not believe them.

I do think that pastors should be more stable. The people in the congregation need to be committed to each other, year after year, and the pastor is no different. We gain nothing by migrating constantly, never investing enough in each other to become accountable or dependable. Relationships are built with time.
 
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Show me with scripture that it is a narrow view.

1Peter 5: 2-3, 2Timothy 4:2, Acts 20:28

I would be interested to know your own experience of how long a pastor stays in a church. Is it the same as what you describe where you said that pastors leave because they get a better paid position elsewhere? Also, do or did your pastor(s) work for the church full-time or part-time?

I am in Northern Ireland, where being a pastor is a full time job and I really don't see how pastors here would have time to commit to another job as well as their pastoring role.

Gillian
 
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2Timothy2:15

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1Peter 5: 2-3, 2Timothy 4:2, Acts 20:28

I would be interested to know your own experience of how long a pastor stays in a church. Is it the same as what you describe where you said that pastors leave because they get a better paid position elsewhere? Also, do or did your pastor(s) work for the church full-time or part-time?

I am in Northern Ireland, where being a pastor is a full time job and I really don't see how pastors here would have time to commit to another job as well as their pastoring role.

Gillian


Did ya read the scriptures you quoted which happen not to support the notion of a paid pastor.

1 Peter 5:2-3King James Version (KJV)
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.

Another scripture you quoted, but yet read on.
Acts 20;
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

33 I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.

verse 33 Paul says straight out he did not do what he did for money or things and he was not being paid either.

So, none of the scriptures you quoted supported my supposed narrow view of pastors.

To answer your question. Yes I know at least a dozen pastors personally, probably more. Almost ALL of them left a smaller church many times to go to a larger church. But not a single one has done the reverse. Left a large church to go to a smaller one.....hmmm. And as always, they all said the same thing, it was GOD moving them. I just wonder which God, Jesus or mammon.

Furthermore, I do not think being in N Ireland is any more relevant than being anywhere else in the world as a pastor. What I mean is there is no less opportunity to earn money working a job than say Paul in Corinth who was under threat of arrest and persecution continually. If anything N Ireland has zero persecution or threat of jailing for a preacher.
 
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HantsUK

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To answer your question. Yes I know at least a dozen pastors personally, probably more. Almost ALL of them left a smaller church many times to go to a larger church. But not a single one has done the reverse. Left a large church to go to a smaller one.....hmmm. And as always, they all said the same thing, it was GOD moving them. I just wonder which God, Jesus or mammon.

Furthermore, I do not think being in N Ireland is any more relevant than being anywhere else in the world as a pastor. What I mean is there is no less opportunity to earn money working a job than say Paul in Corinth who was under threat of arrest and persecution continually. If anything N Ireland has zero persecution or threat of jailing for a preacher.

I'm sorry to hear that you have had such bad experiences. Perhaps I'm fortunate, but the ministers I know are not money grabbing people, who view the ministry a just a 'job'. Both the previous two ministers in my church moved from larger (and 'better') churches, following God's call and leading. For the first minister, he moved from a much larger church - and took a 'pay' cut. And the retired ministers I know all continue to serve in various ways.

As I wrote before, Baptist minsters in the UK do not get a salary, but receive a stipend, the purpose of which is to enable them to spend much more time serving in ministry than would be possible if they had to work in a 'secular' job.

It is also common to provide a manse for the minster to live in. Presumably this is also wrong?
 
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HighCherub

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Hmmm, the Apostle Paul, Barnabus, and all the apostles worked. Paul mentions many many times in the NT how he works with his own hands to not only provide for himself but others. The whole notion of pastors getting paid to pastor as their sole means of income is not biblical but even worse, manufactured lies.

:doh:
The reason Paul worked on the side is because Christianity was illegal and the laity were poor. The Apostles needed to show a legal source of livelihood, and didn't ask much from their followers.

He's the one who teaches that pastors should be compensated- it is not an invented concept, it's been around through all of Christian history.
 
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2Timothy2:15

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:doh:
The reason Paul worked on the side is because Christianity was illegal and the laity were poor. The Apostles needed to show a legal source of livelihood, and didn't ask much from their followers.

He's the one who teaches that pastors should be compensated- it is not an invented concept, it's been around through all of Christian history.

He had to show legal source of income? Really, where is that anywhere in the bible or in history. I am sorry none of what you said can be substantiated by scripture or history for that matter.
 
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HighCherub

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He had to show legal source of income? Really, where is that anywhere in the bible or in history. I am sorry none of what you said can be substantiated by scripture or history for that matter.

The state and government is always on the prow for people without legal jobs who nonetheless obtain substantial income.
They do it in the pursuit of taxes, and the governments of the Apostle's time would have used that pursuit as a means to root out Christianity.

Too many people resort to 'where is it in the Bible'- stop using that as the ~go to~ when you don't have any better argument.
 
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2Timothy2:15

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The state and government is always on the prow for people without legal jobs who nonetheless obtain substantial income.
They do it in the pursuit of taxes, and the governments of the Apostle's time would have used that pursuit as a means to root out Christianity.

Too many people resort to 'where is it in the Bible'- stop using that as the ~go to~ when you don't have any better argument.

I already stated my scriptural reference if you actually read the thread. You on the other hand appear to be doing exactly what you accuse me of. It cracks me up when people make statements based on no scriptural reference and then try and twist it when they can not prove their point to make it out as if the person asking for scriptural reference on a christian forum is the one who has the issue lol. You provide no scriptural reference, if you want to establish doctrine, that is how you do it. Furthermore you demonstrate a lack of understanding of historical facts as well.
 
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