10 FACTORS FOR MEAN PASTORS
Over the years of my calling to this church renewal ministry, I have discovered the prime place of pastors to the health and dynamism of churches. And if you read my posts regularly, you know I love and respect pastors – but I must admit that a few pastors are mean.
Bola Akin-John
To be mean as a pastor is to be wicked, ungodly, bad example, bringing shame and disrepute to the ministry and Word and works of Jesus. Today, the image and respect for the church is at a very low ebb, because of mean pastors.
Here are some of the reasons behind their “meanness”:
1. Some are not believers.
That’s a hard sentence to write, but I’ve known pastors who genuinely come to know Christ after they’ve started ministry. Unsaved pastors abounds here and there, who only sees ministry as a career, profession or religious order and they live mean lives.
2. Some spend too little time with God.
Pastors often admit they spend too little time in Bible study and prayer. They do those things in preparing sermons, but some find it hard to have consistent spiritual disciplines—and they’re not under the Word that changes people.
10 Factors For Mean Pastors |
3. Some are having troubles at home.
Those troubles, too, might be related to the pastor’s attitude. What happens, though, is that he allows those troubles to influence how he treats people in the church.
4. Some have been beaten up with criticism.
Some of the criticism may have been justified, but too much of it can make anyone cynical and frustrated. It just gets tiring, and it’s hard not to retaliate in a mean way.
5. Some are dealing with private sin.
Continual conviction and ongoing defeat take their toll, and the pastor lets that burden affect his relationship with others. Often, he doesn’t listen, and he responds in a curt way.
6. Some deal with anger issues. Perhaps they grew up in an angry home, but they haven’t conquered that issue yet. They’re mean when they let anger rule their life.
7. Some have been recently wounded.
They don’t usually carry a grudge, and they forgive quickly – but a recent event is still creating some inner turmoil. That turmoil sometimes makes itself known in meanness.
8. Some listen to nobody.
That is, they don’t have a friend or mentor who can speak into their lives. These pastors walk alone, and nobody has permission to help them see their apparent meanness toward others.
9. Some simply don’t recognize that others see them as mean. They’re not self-aware, and they can’t even imagine others seeing them as mean. They don’t recognize that sometimes their facial expressions appear angry and their words come across as mean.
10. Some aren’t really called to this work.
They might recognize that reality, and their daily work is more frustrating than edifying; hence, they allow their inner tensions to come out as meanness.
Pastors can only overcome their meaness when they go back repeatedly to the foot of the cross and surrender all their hearts, emotions and I'll feeling there to Jesus. And refused to take it up again in real life.
Pastors, how meek or mean are you in your relationships?
Receive Jesus Christ today and go to church for spiritual fellowship.
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