This week we celebrated my father’s birthday. His birthday is normal the last day of February, but with leap year, I have an added day to reflect before the new month of March began.
Growing up, I was unaware of the blessings I had growing up as a pastors kid. Unlike other PK (preacher’s kids), my dad was largely more connected than the average pastor. Thus, I was more connected with pastors and other community leaders than most. My father has been a part of many boards and leadership teams, community projects, and commissions. He has hundreds—possibly thousands—of peers from Bible college, seminary, churches, and other community engagements. Unlike myself, he is a social butterfly: an extroverted conversationalist. My dad vast network of friends in ministry has created an environment in which I have been around dozens of impactful leaders and pastors.
My family’s past two pastoral offices have been long term placements. We are not currently in our 14th year of the church we planted in 2010. Before that, my dad was on staff at his home church for over 20 years. As a 25 year old, I have grown up in 2 churches, both of which were long term communities.
There is something to be said about pastors who commit to a congregation or church for a long period of time. Maybe we ought to clarify: a long term pastor would be one that exceeds the normal tenure of a pastor at given church. The average tenure of a pastor in America is around five years. Thus, a long term pastor can be understood as one who’s been at a church over five years.
“Our work has found that the typical pastor has his or her greatest ministry impact at a church in years five through fourteen [5–14] of their pastorate. Unfortunately, we also know that the average pastor lasts only five years at a church – forfeiting the fruit of their investment in the church they’ve pastored.”
A Profile of Protestant Pastors in Anticipation of “Pastor Appreciation Month”
Just to be honest, I think long term pastors are more like 10+ year commitments. That really makes it seem “long term.” I am just about to reach three years pastoring back in our church. I still have a much to stay faithful in… and much to look forward to!
Yet, my dad has now tripled that average tenure of five years (if you include the year of pre-planting work and unofficial prayer meetings). I have been fortunate to be around many older long term pastors, and the older I get the more I realize how much they have to offer us.
I have quickly learned that the average pastor we see on social media or at conferences is not actually the pastor 75% have. Mega churches and popular pastors are largely the minority of the American church landscape. Most of us are part of smaller, local congregations with normal, faithful pastors. We don’t have the fancy tech and large followings. We are simply faithful pastors.
That is ultimately what we want—a faithful pastor. By the end of my teenage years, I quickly was unimpressed with church culture that sought more and bigger—not to say that these are not needed in some contexts. As a consumer at church, I was happy with a faithful, wise, and caring pastor. My pastor in college is now a long term pastor of 13 years at Solid Rock SGF.
My history is not full of trendy, viral, or influencers. Rather, its pastors and missionaries…
Dr. Fel Bagunu: pastor of 14 years of a church plant. 20+ years at Sheffield.
Dr. George Westlake: now pastor emeritus at SFLC. 50+ years of pastoring at Sheffield.
Irvin Rutherford: missionary of 50+ years in Asia.
Matt Thomas: pastor of Solid Rock 13 years.
I have truly been blessed to see faithful ministry lived out as an example to me. Outside of the names listed above, I could give a dozen other pastors who I am close with who have been or become long term pastors in their church.
This reflection comes as I think about my dad’s recent birthday. Birthdays are signs that we continue to grow and mature. This growth is unchanging. We will always age, but when that aging occurs in occurs in a constant place, we grow both up moving to new heights, but we also grow down deep with roots that will hold us firm in the challenges that rise to meet us.
Charleston’s Angel Oak tree is famous for its massive canopy and beautiful form. Like all large tree, as it ages, it requires a deep and extensive root system to support its current and future expansion. This is what I think of when I reflect on these long time pastors. A wise tree, rooted deeply in the experiences and hardships of navigating life…
I pray that over the coming years and decades, I will be able to follow in the footsteps of the many wise and faithful pastors I have come to learn from and admire.
I hope one day to be a long term pastor as well…