It starts as a deep, passionate and unwavering calling. A young pastor steps into ministry eager to shepherd God’s people. Over time, the weight of expectations, endless responsibilities and a culture that demands more than it empowers take their toll. Burnout sets in, and the pastor wonders if a greener pasture exists elsewhere.
Many pastors wrestle with this feeling. The pressures of leadership and ministry, partnered with the loneliness of pastoral isolation, can exhaust even the most dedicated servant. Some pastors leave the ministry entirely. Others move from church to church, searching for a place where ministry feels easier. But what if the problem isn’t the church or the workload? What if the problem is how we approach ministry?
The Clergy-Laity Divide — A Frozen Church
A recent conversation on social media caught my attention on this issue. It began with a quote from On Kingdom Businessby Tetsunao Yamamori:
“Ever since (the late second century), the clergy-laity divide has weakened the church by freezing the laity in vast sections of the church. If we are ever to evangelize the world, this frozen part of the church will have to be defrosted by a significant infusion of redemptive energy so that tens of millions of believers are released into evangelism and discipleship.”
Brad Brisco, Drew Cline, Clinton Morris and Michael Battenfield echoed a common concern. Many churches have unintentionally created a structure where the pastor does ministry while the congregation watches. Instead of pastors equipping the saints for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12), many churches expect the pastor to carry the spiritual weight alone, leaving church members as passive consumers.
Have We Turned Shepherds into CEOs?
Michael Battenfield rightly pointed out that the “professionalization of the clergy” has stripped laypeople of their perceived responsibility. Pastoring became a career instead of a calling somewhere in our shared history. Churches started hiring pastors like CEOs, expecting them to do the ministry while the congregation merely attended services.
This shift has harmed both churches and pastors. The pastor, expected to handle all evangelism, discipleship and ministry, will eventually reach a breaking point. Many pastors seek greener pastures, not because they lack a heart for ministry but because they are exhausted from trying to do ministry alone.
Reclaiming Christlike Leadership
Clinton Morris offered a crucial distinction about leadership: “The consequence of this divide is a clergy that no longer leads by example but preaches/teaches for approval. A clergy that says, ‘I have this, but you can help,’ instead of saying, ‘You have this, I can help.’”
That is the difference between a pastor who does all the ministry and a pastor who equips others to serve. Jesus Himself modeled servant leadership. He didn’t merely teach His disciples — He walked with them, sent them out and empowered them to continue His work.
Some may be tempted to misapply Acts 6:2-4 to justify withdrawing from hands-on ministry. However, the problem facing the early church had less to do with the time commitments of the apostles and everything to do with the sheer volume of work. This passage, rightly applied, stresses ensuring the Word of God remained central as the body of Christ functioned together as a team.
If we want healthier churches and healthier pastors, we must return to the New Testament model — pastors who lead by example and congregations who actively engage in ministry.
Breaking the Cultural Conformity
Many congregations resemble an audience rather than an army. Sunday services are structured like performances, and members show up expecting to be fed rather than to serve.
Drew Cline’s original quote in the conversation reminds us that the New Testament insists on the priesthood of all believers. Every Christian has a role to play in God’s kingdom. A biblical church does not have one minister and many spectators — it has many ministers working together. What does that mean practically?
• It means shifting from passive church services to an active body of believers who engage in discipleship, evangelism and mission together.
• It means moving beyond the model in which only the pastor teaches and prays while the church observes.
• It means embracing a biblical culture where every believer is equipped for ministry.
Seeking the Right Pastures
It may seem convenient for the tired pastor to assume their panacea can be found in a different church. However, the greener pasture we seek is not found in a new location but in a biblical ministry model.
If pastors are exhausted, it may not be due to being in the wrong church, but rather because they have assumed too much responsibility without equipping others. If churches feel stagnant, it may not be a lack of a dynamic preacher, but rather an over-reliance on their pastor instead of fully embracing their role as disciple-makers.
A healthy church functions as a body, with every member involved in the ministry. When pastors equip, and believers engage, discipleship flourishes!
We will always face challenges, but those who cultivate an equipping culture will find ministry joyful, sustainable and refreshing. Instead of searching for greener pastures, let’s cultivate healthy fields where we are. Let’s defrost the frozen parts of the church and release believers into the kingdom’s work.
