The Downside of Ministry

I was shocked by the news of the resignation of the newly installed minister at Riverside Church in New York. I had read there were criticisms of him, but there always are of a minister. Then I read Randall Balmer's piece on the situation. It can be accessed at: http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/oped/1606/by_the_way%3A_riverside_minister%E2%80%99s_abrupt_resignation_reveals_the_perils_of_the_pulpit/.

A portion of Balmer's piece resonated with me:

But for those who discern the call to preach the gospel, even for those of us who pursue ordination later in our careers, such concerns fade to insignificance. We approach our calling with energy, enthusiasm and idealism—and then run into the buzz saw of congregational infighting and politics.

Although the vast majority of churchgoers, in my experience, are decent and kind, parishioners less charitably disposed can find ingenious ways to make a minister’s life miserable: criticism of everything from comportment and grooming to sermons, salary and administrative style. If you’re decisive, you’re an autocrat; if you seek to build consensus, you’re a weak leader. Late in my father’s very successful ministerial career, the board of elders in a large and affluent congregation demanded that he personally reimburse the church for the photocopies he made for church business.

Some congregants, intent on disruption, can be more devious, striking by indirection. In my case (and, as I understand it, at Riverside), dissident members leveled criticisms at the minister’s wife and family. I’m inclined to follow the injunction of Jesus to “turn the other cheek” when criticisms are directed at me, especially when I’m confident that I’ve acted honorably. It’s a different matter, however, when the people I love come under attack.

Eventually, such sniping exacts a toll. I threw myself, heart and soul, into my parish, despite the fact that mine was carefully stipulated as a part-time appointment. No matter. The vestry (the governing body of the congregation) insisted on still more. Worse, by the actions of some in the congregation, I was asked, in effect, to choose between the parish and my marriage.

I requested that my contract not be renewed for a second year.

I am happy to say that I am moving into my second year in my church in Salt Lake City without experencing anything like what was described in the piece. Yet, even in the best of circumstances the demands and pressures of parish ministry take their toll. And, I have had such guerilla warfare criticism attack me and my family.

That may be why fewer younger people are going into ministry. That may be why the tenure of ministers is often measured in months. That may be why there is an epidemic of "forced resignations" in churches; not because of inappropriate acts by the minister, but because of the power game played by people in the congregation.

This reality is why I have been involved in the Ministry to Ministers organization for a number of years; currently, I serve as President of the Board. MTM helps ministers and families pick up the pieces of their lives after a forced termination, and that is a good and holy thing.