you’re fired {take this job and…}

in october 2006, lifeway christian resources announced that over 1300 staff members of southern baptist churches had been fired in 2006 alone. this is just one denomination and one year, so it’s not inclusive of all churches or all reasons for leaving a job (being fired or resigning or moral failure…or the ever-so-tricky “forced to resign”).

i left one southern baptist church in february 2006 after being on staff for a little over two years and now work at another southern baptist church. i can think of at least twenty (without even trying) people i know who have been fired, quit, moved to another church or left a church staff for health reasons between 2006 and 2007. max lucado himself is slowly stepping down from his responsibilities at oak hills church.

many of my good friends have been burned out by working at churches. my own father left the ministry in 1996 after being run over and pastoring four churches in ten years. early last year, i swore i’d never work in a church again because of the intense pressure (but fortunately, a couple of people were able to move me along, and although at times it seems insanely hectic, lake pointe has been such a place of healing).

i reflect today on this because in the last three weeks i have learned of a couple more of my friends who have left the ministry. my heart breaks for their hearts. for their families.

my heart is saddened by the general condition of the western church culture. there are so many health problems reported by church staff. i ended up in the hospital for a week in 2005. a friend in his early twenties who is a youth pastor developed ulcers. heart problems seem to be the norm though, with middle-aged pastors and stress (and perhaps the fact generally seaking, most churches serve junk food more often than communion?)

i cynically digress. please forgive me. i do not take the sacrament of communion in such light regard…

the sad thing is NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE ABOUT THIS UNLESS SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

but what? seriously, what kind of example are we setting by turning ourselves into little, overworked stress balls with heart disease and ulcers? by our broken families? our broken dreams?

i dont have the answers, but i sure as heck want to talk about this.