Dear Younger Pastors

Today I want to share with you ‘younger’ pastors four unshakeable convictions I have. They have come out of 26 years of Pastoral Leadership (which included a fair share of mistakes) and 15 years of mentoring, teaching and consulting with Pastors and churches. So if you are under 40, I hope these thoughts will encourage you.

1. Attend to your own weaknesses and brokenness. Can we be honest now? We all bring some yukky stuff into our adult lives. We do! We carry a bag around with some rotten stuff in it. And it smells real bad. As a pastor I do well to be ‘self-aware’ enough to attend and address those issues and address them head on. Some pastors struggle with character flaws that need quite some time and ‘surgery’ to fix. Others of us may have a ‘hole in our soul’ that needs healing. All of this to say that we may need an intervention that may include counselling. But it’s worth it because it will ensure a happier life. It will also minimise any hurt that you may do to others as you lead and minister. Remember, “hurt people, hurt people”. Dear younger pastors please do not neglect the state of your own soul and your own weaknesses.
2. Love your spouse and children well. As a pastor of a congregation this in and of itself is a sermon. Actually it is many sermons. For me it is as simple as this. When your spouse and your children know without a shadow of doubt that they are more loved by you than anyone else AND that what is going on in their lives is more important to you than what is going on in the life of the Church then you are well on the road of getting this juggling act right. I have talked to so many PK’s (pastors kids) over the years who will speak kindly about their Dad but who weren’t quite sure that Dad loved them more than all those people at church. This is especially critical for children aged 8 – 14.
   These days this issue is even more pressing. With the advent of more pastors wives having to work to supplement household income, there is simply more pressure on pastors families. Coupled with a blurred line between home and work and we now have quite a pressured home environment. Dear younger pastors please prioritise your family above all.
3. Find a Mentor. I can’t tell you how incredibly valuable a mentor is to a younger pastor. Just for clarity sake a mentor is not a supervisor or a spiritual director or a life coach for that matter. No, a mentor is one older person who commits to you over a long haul and has your best interests at heart. A mentor loves you and your family and has been given permission by you to ‘speak the truth in love’ to you on any subject at any time. I sought out such a person in my first year of ministry and Jim Hurn mentored me and I knew he loved me. Later in life we became firm friends until he died 5 years ago and I still miss him today.
   A mentor is there for you anytime and at all times. He/she knows you really well and your family and his or her desire is that you do well in life……really well. A mentor will cheer-lead your success and tell you off when you mess up. Actually, a dedicated mentor can help you avoid doing dumb things. Dear younger pastors please pursue finding a mentor with all the energy you have.
4. Read widely, think deeply. I can’t tell you enough of this important work. Committing to a solid reading programme week in and week out is an indispensable spiritual discipline and essential task that we as pastors need that along with reading of scripture will ‘renew our minds’. I know all too well the background reading we all do as preachers when we prepare our sermons and of course that is important. What I am advocating here is additional reading that ideally opens your mind to new understandings and insights. To that end I would recommend reading widely on subjects that you don’t naturally orientate to. Read history, theology, ethics, sociology and psychology. But most of all read scripture.
   And then spend some quality time each week thinking. Think about what you are reading. Think about how it may apply to your life and ministry. Think about how this relates to what you already know. This kind of thinking includes praying over what we have read. It may require initiating a conversation with colleagues or your spouse or your mentor where you ‘dig deeply’ into a new subject. This kind of thinking will help you lead and preach better. Dear younger pastors please give time to this very important work of reading widely and thinking deeply.

Blessings

Alan

Alan Vink is currently the Executive Director for LeadershipWorx. Prior to this role he has been the Executive Director of Willow Creek Association NZ (WillowNZ), a Baptist pastor (23 years), Bible College teacher, and church consultant.