Ministerial Resilience

When was the last time you thought about resigning from your ministerial calling?

Some ministers contemplate quitting the ministry every Monday! Others have thought about leaving the ministry at the onset of recurring conflicts. These and other circumstances lead many to resign from the ministry. Still, others consider walking away from the ministry when they are unable to overcome their personal struggles. Leaders are not immune to human brokenness, which expresses itself through personal insecurities, feelings of inferiority, and the need for love, which often seduces ministers to abandon their spiritual gifts and their ministerial calling for short-term physical, sexual, emotional, or financial gratification. Some, blinded by their personal brokenness, may ignore the early signs, keeping them hidden or believing they can overcome them on their own. But many ministers lack the personal training to prevail over their brokenness. Consequently, they don't seek help. On the other hand, some who are aware of their personal dilemmas lack the tools to overcome them. These ministers and pastors lead the church. The church of Jesus Christ in the twenty-first century, like the church of the first, will continue to be led by fallible men and women who have the fear of God. They will continue to serve in their communities knowing that they have a calling from God on their lives. They must exercise their ministry with resilience.

What is Resilience?

In an interview with Rich Heffern, Robert J. Wicks explains that “resilience is the ability to cope, learn, and not be crushed by life’s challenges and stresses.”[1] Malleability, flexibility, elasticity, agility, resilience, resilience, fortitude, and strength—each synonym for resilience suggests the ability to endure pressures, strains, and challenges such as the trials of ministry. After all, ministry requires resilience to continue long-term. Timothy, the young pastor of the church in Ephesus, was commissioned to remain sober in all situations, endure hardships, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill all the duties of his ministry (2 Tim. 4:5).[2] This commission must be fulfilled, and it will be more effective once the pastor identifies those elements in his character and life that undermine success.

The Reach Center

The Reach Center is the Hispanic vision center of the Assemblies of God, providing opportunities and resources for twenty-first-century Hispanic ministers.

Its commitment to lifelong ministry is based on the fact that every statistic is a pastor with a calling, a congregation with potential, and a community waiting to be transformed. The Reach Center's Resilience Initiative strengthens the commitment to help build thriving communities of Latino Assemblies of God pastors in each district. Women and men are equipped, supported, and inspired throughout their ministry journey.

The Reach Center, through its Resilience Initiative, is committed to partnering with pastors and ministers for lifelong ministerial success. To that end, we encourage pastors to participate in this personal resilience initiative, while under their districts, identifying and equipping personal resilience initiative coaches. These coaches will, in turn, help ministers and pastors learn to address personal dilemmas at the beginning of their ministerial calling, ensuring ministerial longevity for local churches.

[1] Robert J. Wicks, interview with Rich Heffern, “Make a Difference in the World by Being Resilient,” in National Catholic Reporter, December 11, 2009, 14.

[2] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical references are taken from the New International Version.