I recently interviewed more than twenty pastors who had been in ministry for at least 25 years.
All of these men were over 55 years old. A few of them were retired, but most of them were still active in full-time vocational ministry.
The interview was simple. I asked one open-ended question: “What regrets do you have about the years you have served as a pastor?”
Each of the men could provide as many responses as they desired. They could make the answers succinct, or they could elaborate upon them.
Three pastors had as few as two responses; one pastor had nine. Most of the pastors noted three or four regrets.
As a researcher, I typically see patterns develop in this type of subjective research. When it concluded, I was able to see seven definitive patterns, and I was able to see the frequency with which they occurred.
Here are the top seven regrets noted in order of frequency.
I received a total of 17 different responses, but only these seven occurred with any degree of repetition. After each regret, I provide a representative direct quote from one of the interviewees.
1. Lack of practical training for local church ministry.
“I was not prepared for 80 percent of my day-to-day ministry after I graduated from seminary.
I wish I had taken time to find some resources or places where I could get practical training. I had to learn in the school of hard knocks, and it was very painful at times.”
