I don't want to be a senior pastor...nope..not me!

[blyempowered]

http://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/ben-mandrell-3-reasons-why-the-preacher-population-is-shrinking-and-what-to-do-about-it-907.asp?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=scnewsletter&utm_content=SC+Update+20120612

2 questions:

1) Do you agree or disagree with the idea that the amount of ministers wanting to become senior pastors have (has) decreased over the last 15-20 years? Why?

2) What can be done to get more ministers interested in being a senior pastor?

[LaylaMonroe]

http://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/ben-mandrell-3-reasons-why-the-preacher-population-is-shrinking-and-what-to-do-about-it-907.asp?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=scnewsletter&utm_content=SC+Update+20120612

2 questions:

1) Do you agree or disagree with the idea that the amount of ministers wanting to become senior pastors have (has) decreased over the last 15-20 years? Why?

2) What can be done to get more ministers interested in being a senior pastor?

2 - why? Why would we want to get more ministers interested in being a senior pastor?

Sorry. That's just the first thing that came to mind. I'll go read the article now (or try to).

[blyempowered]

2 - why? Why would we want to get more ministers interested in being a senior pastor?

Sorry. That's just the first thing that came to mind. I'll go read the article now (or try to).

Good question.

[under13]

I thought everybody and their baby's mamma wanted to be a pastor. *U13 Shrug*

[JustBritt]

2 - why? Why would we want to get more ministers interested in being a senior pastor?

Sorry. That's just the first thing that came to mind. I'll go read the article now (or try to).

I thought the same thing...

I thought everybody and their baby's mamma wanted to be a pastor. *U13 Shrug*

And this too.

[blyempowered]

I thought everybody and their baby's mamma wanted to be a pastor. *U13 Shrug*

In the african-american tradition (maybe not as much now but years back) I'd definitely say yes.

[LaylaMonroe]

Okay, I just looked at the article. I'm sorry but I'm not going to be able to read it. Maybe RJ will give a synopsis or a good quote or something. Idk.

But anyway, on the general subject, I don't buy it. I hate to say this like this because I know it doesn't sound good, but I really think the folks at Sermon Central (and lots of those other websites that talk about church, church leadership, and Christian issues) are completely out of touch with the Black church. I can understand it, since many of us seem to think the Black church is the only church experience that exists... but I digress. They make these blanket assessments about "the church" but their numbers and interviews and statistics don't represent our churches at all.

Anyway, my point is that there is no shortage of pastors in the Black church at all. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sir. And I don't believe we need to be worrying about how we can get more people to become senior pastors. If anything, we need to worry about how... shut up, Layla. Yeah, we have a lot of people with the senior pastor title. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of qualified people with the title. That's a problem worth addressing, but the problem SC presented doesn't really apply to the Black church in general, imo.

[Arkhams Finest]

2 - why? Why would we want to get more ministers interested in being a senior pastor?

In Brooklyn there's a church on every other block.  I have seen blocks, no lie, with 4 churches.  I mean a SINGLE BLOCK with 4 churches.  And it isn't at all uncommon.

Everybody and their brother are called to be a pastor.  A man will leave a church that has 20 people, take 10 of the members with him and start another little storefront.  Why?  I don't know.  I think less people need to be senior pastors.  Everybody wants to be 'The Man' and nobody is willing to submit and follow.  Find a man of God who is doing something and allow him to be 'The Man'.  Together you will be able to do things you couldn't do apart.

The Catholic church is an example of what unity does.  There aren't catholic churches on every block, but the ones you find are actual CHURCHES.  Not bodegas with chairs and a whack sound system.   

[under13]

This must be written from a different cultural perspective. There was paragraph about not wanting to be a pastors wife. In a black church, there is no shortage of women wanting to be a pastor's wife.

[SirTJ]

It's COMMON to go down a street and see three black churches within one mile of each other, so I don't think there's a shortage of "Pastors", or people we call "Pastors" at least.

[Arkhams Finest]

This must be written from a different cultural perspective. There was paragraph about not wanting to be a pastors wife. In a black church, there is no shortage of women wanting to be a pastor's wife.

...or mistress.   

[JustBritt]

This must be written from a different cultural perspective. There was paragraph about not wanting to be a pastors wife. In a black church, there is no shortage of women wanting to be a pastor's wife.

In.Deed!

[under13]

I agree with Rue and RJ

...or mistress.   

lol and smh.

[blyempowered]

Okay, I just looked at the article. I'm sorry but I'm not going to be able to read it. Maybe RJ will give a synopsis or a good quote or something. Idk.

But anyway, on the general subject, I don't buy it. I hate to say this like this because I know it doesn't sound good, but I really think the folks at Sermon Central (and lots of those other websites that talk about church, church leadership, and Christian issues) are completely out of touch with the Black church. I can understand it, since many of us seem to think the Black church is the only church experience that exists... but I digress. They make these blanket assessments about "the church" but their numbers and interviews and statistics don't represent our churches at all.

Anyway, my point is that there is no shortage of pastors in the Black church at all. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sir. And I don't believe we need to be worrying about how we can get more people to become senior pastors. If anything, we need to worry about how... shut up, Layla. Yeah, we have a lot of people with the senior pastor title. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of qualified people with the title. That's a problem worth addressing, but the problem SC presented doesn't really apply to the Black church in general, imo.

Layla I enjoyed all of that!

[LaylaMonroe]

Okay so it looks like we're all on the same page.

But that's because we're all most familiar with the Black church perspective.

Interesting.

[blyempowered]

Okay so it looks like we're all on the same page.

But that's because we're all most familiar with the Black church perspective.

Interesting.

Yep!

[under13]

For us, church is like the easiest place for us to be a celebrity. We aint giving that up.

[SirTJ]

On the flip side, while I've never been rooted in a predominantly white church (I did spend some time congregating with one my Freshman year of college), from what I can tell, the "Pastoral" position isn't as glamorized as it is in the Black church. The money and fame is there of course (or at least I assume...I don't know how much they get paid), but those pastors receive a LOT of hard-nosed discipline. The whole "touch not mine anointed" aura that exists in the black church seems totally reversed in predominantly white churches. They publicly call each other out for certain teachings and have Elders that they have to answer to. Seminary qualification is accented as well. They hold them highly responsible.

Again, this is just what I can tell from the ministries I pay attention to.

[Docdb04]

Nothing else for me to add but a....

Cosign!!!!!!!

[Docdb04]

Oh wait I can add something. 

The bad thing is you have Ministers, who have not been properly ordained, becoming Pastors or calling themselves Pastors, Bishops, Apostles, etc.