Ten Common Sentiments Pastors Wish They Could Express by SermonCentral .com

I love pastors.

I respect pastors.

No, they aren’t perfect. Indeed, they often have many struggles and challenges. As I reviewed the thousands of comments I have heard from pastors, I began to see a pattern of silent expressions. Stated simply, there are many things pastors would like to say, but they don’t feel like they have the freedom to do so.

I compiled ten of the more common unspoken comments pastors wish they could express. They are in no particular order, and I have chosen not to offer further commentary to them.

“I am struggling with depression.”
“Don’t criticize me right before or after I preach.”
“I worry about my family in the church fishbowl.”
“I wish the ‘healthy’ church members in our church would stand up to the bullies and critics.”
“Pray for me; I need it.”
“I don’t know if we can pay our personal bills.”
“I am so tired of attending mundane meetings.”
“Don’t ask me to do something right before I preach.”
“I can’t keep up with all the changes in culture and churches.”
“It hurts me deeply when we lose a church member.”

I know there are many more sentences of similar sentiments. What do you think of these ten? What would you add?

Talk about it...

Mary Carr

commented on May 9, 2017

I think that sometimes the Pastor really doesn't like his calling!

David Holman

commented on May 12, 2017

1) If you aren't going to do anything for the Lord then why are you here? 2) How is it you know what your pastor is suppose to be doing but you dont know what God wants you to do? 3) Hey, I need a raise. 4) Why do you need counceling, don't you have the same Bible and resources I do. 5) If the first Christian were to and worship the Lord here, we would be ashamed of ourselves. 6) You didn't call my wife as pastor, so don't think she has to be here for every function.

Miriam Nm

commented on May 28, 2022

Re 10 Common Sentiments Pastors wish they could express Appreciate your compilations- indeed they aren’t perfect and are to be loved and respected. From this my thoughts. In no way did the bible give the intimation that the pastor was to be perfect, reliant on self or anything below, or, alone and without support and finally to feel tapped. Following the call, Jesus would commission them and in two occasions in the bible we see the following: Mathew 10, Mark 6 and Luke 10:1-20 they are paired, instructed on how to preach and above all we see that they are sent to go ahead of the king, sort of to prepare the way, like John the Baptist and all the prophets before. Also to represent the king, they are ambassadors, on commission this means being formally chosen and given the authority to get information about a problem or to perform other special duties, we see this is the case in these passages before the crucifixion . After resurrection Mathew 28, Jesus commissions and gives them power and authority to be victorious, strengthened in the face of persecution, rejection and all manner of encounters. Sentiments 1 to 10 have all been dealt with in the words of the master and it is with these passages that I take pleasure and great honour to submit to us the solutions or answers to help navigate through the challenges faced and expressed by our counterparts. My Fellow ministers, we are faced with challenges, to which task he never said it would be easy. We are reminded that “the servant is no greater than his master” and so if they called him Beelzebub what of his disciples, servants and ministers! The best is that through all these we remain victorious so we needn’t worry, feel helpless, defeated or alone. We have his Word. and the comforter His Promise who is an ever present help in times of trouble. The one that calls would want to remind us the words of the Apostle from 1 Cor 3:9 & Eph 2:10 ‘We are God’s co-workers in his service’ His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.”. Do I have anything to add to the 10? Not at this point, I feel you have highlighted the most common sentiments facing us in ministry.🙏🏼Thank you.

Jonathan Spurlock

commented on Jun 1, 2022

The author named his own "top 10" concerns. These are very similar, although in various amounts, to what any preacher/pastor would face in dealing with a congregation of any size. Some of us knew what was coming when we chose to answer God's call; others are going to find out, but it's sad that a pastor of any congregation of any size has to suffer in silence because he knows anything he says will be misunderstood. So he'll soldier on in silent grief because he has burdens he can't share with anyone and heartaches he can't let anyone know about. Pray for your pastor, as he (and I should add "she" in some cases) needs it. I know I do!

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Ten Common Sentiments Pastors Wish They Could Express

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