Editor’s Note: We know most churches will never have to deal with a situation like this one. But for those who do, we believe this advice from a seasoned pastor will spare you a lot of heartache.
Recently on my blog, we said pastors should be terminated abruptly if they are guilty of flagrant indecency, proven immorality, confirmed illegality or serious heresy.
Several friends wrote to ask about pastors who are not guilty of those serious breaches, but are simply deadbeat preachers.
One said of her pastor, “He’s not guilty of any cardinal sins, but he simply stands by collecting a paycheck when the congregation has dwindled down from 250 to 50. All the programs and ministries are no longer functioning. Many changes were forced upon the people, changes they did not want.”
Her pastor receives a hefty salary while watching the church die around him and doing nothing about it.
She added, “When asked about all the people who were leaving—three-fourths of the church!—he says, ‘Well, they shouldn’t be here if they don’t want to be.’ And these are people who have worshiped there 40 and 50 years.”
She wanted to know what I had to say about that situation.
Unfortunately, she’s not alone. I’ve heard from several about such pastors who are deadweights on the congregation.
I have two thoughts: a) A lazy do-nothing pastor should be ushered out of the ministry as quickly as it’s determined that he is beyond helping. b) However, the blame for his continuing in the pulpit and hastening the church’s demise should be laid at the feet of the lay leadership. They clearly decided not to deal with the man.
In most cases, the members who remained are the passive ones willing to let the pastor do whatever he chooses and as little as he pleases.
What does a church do with a deadbeat pastor?
1) Define “deadbeat.” That could mean one thing to one person and something else to another.
One person described their pastor as one who does not make pastoral calls, is not available for counseling, preaches unprepared sermons, and gives no hands-on leadership to anything. That is precisely what I would call deadbeat.
2) There are several ways of dealing with such a preacher. Here are some considerations and suggestions …
a. Ideally, you personally should schedule a visit with the preacher. He hears you and repents and changes his ways.
But if he truly is a parasite on the body of the redeemed, he will slough you off. When that happens, you try something else.
b. Does your church have in place elected lay leaders such as deacons (with their officers), a personnel committee (with officers) or an administrative committee (ditto)? If so, after trying unsuccessfully to deal with the pastor personally, go to Plan B. Make a visit to the leading layperson(s) and share your concern.
c. What provisions are in your church’s constitution and bylaws? Study it and look for orderly and acceptable ways to bring issues to the attention of the pastor or the congregation in a regular business session.
This means, of course, that churches should keep these documents up to date and in working order, and that leaders should know them backward and forward.
Some of my pastor friends say with poorly-concealed delight that their church does not have a constitution and it frees them to do things their way. This is unbelievably short-sighted. I ask them, what about the next preacher? What if he is a dictator or tries to take the church from your denomination or to make it into something unbiblical? Without proper safeguards, the membership may be helpless.
d. If the pastoral situation is in serious need of immediate action, a small group of elected leaders would be the ideal ones to visit the pastor and bring this to his attention. That could be the three chairpersons above (deacons, personnel, administrative) or something resembling that group.
Please note, while I do think such a small group should call on the pastor from time to time to pray with/for him and encourage him, and while I believe they are the proper ones to deal with him when he is lazy or out of control, they are not his boss and exercise no authority over him.
The worst people to deal with a wayward pastor are those known to be against him. He will not listen to such members and will discount anything they say. The best ones to speak are people who have loved him and supported him.
