Question:

A Different Time? - Is pastoring different today than it was ten, fifteen, or twenty years ago?  It seems like it is, but I’m trying to define how it’s different.  Is society different?  Are church members different?  Are the expectations and commitment levels of people different?  Can you help me understand this?  Read the responses.

Responses:

Pastor Larry Millender – Tallahassee, FL
I definitely see a BIG CHANGE in pastoring over the past 25 years or so.  There are various reasons as to why:

First of all, society has changed so much.

People have become more independent-minded than ever before.

They don't see as much need for the local church today as in previous times.  There are other things that satisfy their needs these days.

There are also so many things vying for people's attention and time these days.

It seems that our services now have to be built around ball games, theater, dance class, soccer, etc. (an endless list )

There is also a great demand for entertainment in the church as people are accustomed to be entertained everywhere else these days.

Society as a whole is not committed too much at all, and that is reflected in the church as well.

People are looking to be pacified and made happy, otherwise they stay aloof and detached.

All of these issues make pastoring more demanding, tiring, and challenging for all of us.  It's almost as though pastors are spinning plates trying to keep everything going so that people stay connected.  To put it simply: "Things ain't like they used to be."


Pastor Mike Webb – Lake Forest, CA
I think the church is different than it was 20 years ago. When we started our church in 1986, people would come to us because we went to Rhema. Ten years later, a lot of people stayed away because we did. Today, not many people care one way or the other.

So, we look back to what drew us to God 30 years ago. It was hearing Brother Hagin teach the Word. And the room was full of young, old, single, and married people. People left careers to go where they could hear the Word. And I don't think anyone would blame Brother Hagin's success on his dynamic style or methods.

Obviously, people are more affluent today than ever. That gives them more opportunities for distraction than ever before. They make choices based on what they are accustomed to, what they like, and what they feel comfortable with. And for those who want to hear the Word, it is more accessible than ever, too. They don't have to leave their homes to hear it like they used to. Along with the success of Seeker Friendly churches, that has created complacency in much of the church in America. According to studies, that translates into church attendance every 2-3 weeks.

I decided that I don't want people to listen to me because I look a certain way or speak in some "hip" manner. I want them to listen because of what I'm saying. If people think I'm a dinosaur because I wear a suit and tie, so be it. I just want them to not be able to resist the words I speak.

Not everyone will want what we have to offer. But I would prefer the ones that do to a crowd twice as large who came because they "relate" to how I look. And knowing why they come causes them to be committed to God and our church.

Now if I could just get those who come once a month to understand why they need more...


Pastor Bob Yandian - Tulsa, OK
Pastoring today is different than it was ten to twenty years ago.  There was a hunger in God’s people for the word and it seems the things of God were more important.  Today, society is different.   It appears that the word, the local church and spiritual things are just another thing to do in people’s lives.  They have work, home, pleasure, school, sports and church.  People move from one to another and when it is time for God, they go to church.  A number of years ago more people put God first in their lives no matter what they did. God was part of their conversation and interests.  About the only time God seems to matter today is when people make time for Him.  He is brought up only at appropriate times. Also, when other things come up, church is sacrificed.  There is always next week.  There is little prioritizing.  Whatever is expedient is done.  Not that many years ago, church, campmeetings and seminars were the top priority in the daily life of believers.  That daily life revolved around study of the word, good sermons on tape or CD and in books and praise and worship music.  There does not seem to be the hunger today for understanding God’s word.  Life is filled with so many things, it is difficult for people to see the need for a strong relationship with the Lord. The needs of people have not changed.  They are just filling them with other things than God’s word and church.


Pastor Matt Beemer - Manchester, England
Playwright Henry Miller’s words accurately describe what I believe our approach to ministry must be in this ever-fluid culture, ‘Ones destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things.’                      

One of the most challenging statements I have read on leadership as relating to our ever changing culture is found in a great little book called Aquachurch (Leonard Sweet – Group Publishing Inc, 1999).  In it the author makes the following comment on the reality our continually changing culture, ‘What is fresh and innovative today is stale and obsolete tomorrow.  If you are doing church the same way you were a year ago, you’re falling behind and failing.’  This statement is very broad and sweeping so we should be careful how we apply it, but Sweet supports his statement with the following interesting facts:

• 78% of Fortune 500 companies ‘re-engineered’ themselves between 1991 and 1993.
• There is a new web site every 2 seconds, and a new product every thirty seconds.
• World knowledge doubles every eighteen months, with more information being produced in the last 30 years than in the previous five thousand.
• Moores Law states that micro-processing speed doubles every 18 months, while computer costs drop by 50% in that same time. At this rate Ray Kurzwil states that it will be possible to purchase a $1000 computer with the same speed and capacity of the human brain by 2020.
• In the first six months of 1992, so many rapid changes occurred in the world geography that National Geographic Society had to revise its world map six times.

In addition to Sweet’s thoughts, an interesting fact I came across a couple years ago was that in the 1970’s there was a study done of ‘mega-churches’ in the USA and at that time there were only 14 mega churches, that is churches with an attendance of more than 2200.  Thirty years later there are more than 1200!  I’m certain this has changed the way we pastor dramatically.

So – is pastoring different today than it was ten, fifteen, or even twenty years ago?  Yes, if we are doing it properly, it will be! J

How it is different is a much harder question and probably has as many answers as there are pastors and churches.  Even so, for me the phrase that best describes how pastoring today differs from a decade or two ago is – ‘Definitely more complicated’.  All the business, legalities, media and technology, as well as a far more rapidly changing culture make pastoring today exceedingly more complicated than it ever has been. 

Thank God for the simplicity of the Word and the Power of the Spirit!


Pastor Jerry Weinzierl – Sterling Heights, MI
Is pastoring different today than it was ten, fifteen, or twenty years ago? Yes, but probably because of a few factors. Communication is easier; technology has enhanced our effectiveness by the speed of our response. I can answer a question by e-mail in 5 minutes that may have taken a ½ hour phone call (small talk, etc.). The other reason it’s different for me is because I’ve grown in my personal abilities to the point of reasonable competence! 

Is society different? Faster, competing demands that cause people to not be as focused on the spiritual, etc. Changing value systems….

Are church members different? I don’t think so. Speed of the Leader…Speed of the Team …it’s amazing how much better my church members have become in step with my level of security, ability, confidence and knowledge, etc.

Are the expectations different? It’s up to me to teach through and train my congregation regarding biblical standards for my role as Pastor. My job according to Ephesians 4 is to train people to do the work that religious culture had said was the pastor’s job for many years (centuries!).

 Are commitment levels different? Again, I believe when you lead with vision, the commitment levels of people rise to higher levels. When you lead based upon “need,” the commitment falls off as soon as the need is perceived to have been met.


Pastor Ray Almaguer – Glendora, CA
I have been a pastor for 25 years. There have been lots of changes. Musical styles have changed. We used to sing choruses. The use of Multi-media has been a huge change. We have shorter services now. I believe people are still committed, they just have less time to commit than they used to. Here in California, virtually all the moms have jobs. They need two incomes to make ends meet. We have lots of single moms and the demand is even greater on them. We have to be wise in our expectations. We don't want them feeling guilty about not attending church every time the doors are open. The fact is, some of them just can't. Society has changed. There is more of a consumer mentality now than there used to be. Another change we have noticed is in Children's Ministry. It seems there are a lot more fearful parents than there used to be. They are far more concerned with who is watching their kids than they are with our tenets of faith. Many of these parents are the children of boomers, many of whom grew up in single parent homes. This has to be addressed effectively by the church.

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