Pastors are often in a position where they are needed, as believers seek their help when they face challenges. But what should pastors do when they are overwhelmed by long-term pressure or face problems they can't overcome? During my visits to diverse churches, I’ve encountered several pastors who have crossed this difficult threshold in different ways, as well as learned about some ways to support them.
Walk With the Lord While Affirming the Path of the Cross
Pastor Huang from northern China, who has been in full-time ministry for over 20 years, deeply resonates with this idea. He once said, "We must realize that Jesus walked the path of sacrificing, emptying himself, and giving. Yet, it is also a road of love and hope. If we always live inside our own fantasies and are unwilling to accept reality, then ministry can only become a burden for pastors."
Facing many challenges along the path of service, ministers must be prepared in advance. It is a good step to develop a good habit of spiritual discipline. Pastor Huang strives to use fragments of time in his daily life to read the Bible, meditate, or pray. “I used to think that spiritual devotions and ministry were separate, so I always wanted to set aside time for devotions. But as my responsibilities increased, I found that living by this principle was not very realistic,” he added, suggesting that ministry can also be part of a pastor’s spiritual practice.
“I can gain an accurate and deep understanding of God’s words in these ministries, such as preparing sermons, leading meetings, or visiting believers. Through ministry, I can also more deeply realize my lack of understanding of the word, which drives me to seek answers from God’s words,” he said.
Seek Help From Mentor
A senior pastor at a downtown church shared that she met a mentor during a gathering, and they hit it off straight away. Since then, they’ve stayed in touch. When she encounters problems she can't handle, she seeks help from this mentor, whose character has also deeply influenced and strengthened her.
A middle-aged pastor from a rural church in Nanning, Guangxi, is very grateful for the older pastor who founded the church, saying that this elder mentored him like Jesus taught his disciples. When he became the church leader, the elder pastor’s experiences in problem-solving helped him overcome difficulties. More importantly, he learned from this elder how to rely on God.
A younger pastor who also has a mentor believes that a wise person should seek out a mentor who can strengthen his faith.
If there is no personal mentor for support, going out to learn can also open up new paths. A young pastor living in an area where ministers are not well-supported realized during a study trip that churches that prioritize supporting their pastors tend to have thriving ministries and experience revival. After returning, he worked hard to push for change, and his church began to look completely different. Now, he is working to promote this idea to other churches in his region.
Self-Study
A pastor in central China, who has worked in the church for more than 40 years, was once severely hit during her ministry and took two years to recover from a low point, as she almost gave up serving in the church. During this time, she worked hard to learn, which helped herself out of the predicament.
In the early 1980s, after graduating from seminary, she began her full-time ministry. At first, she learned from an older pastor, gaining many valuable insights. After the elder retired, she became the chair of the municipal TSPM and the senior pastor of the central church.
At first, she managed to work under pressure. However, some believers were hurt due to a particular issue and many left the church, which devastated her. She chose to study related topics to heal herself, using the knowledge to assist her fellow church workers.
Li, a pastor born after 1985, also broke through his difficulties by self-study—particularly in how to improve spiritual lives of believers. After graduating from seminary, he was invited to a church with fewer than 100 members, where he was the only full-time minister. In actual ministry, Li realized that the knowledge he gained from seminary was far from sufficient, so he turned to thick commentaries. Three to five years later, he felt that his vision and capacity had broadened, and his pastoral ability had improved significantly. He then led several staff workers and believers in the church to tackle thick systematic theology books.
Team-Building Activities Organized for Church Workers
A pastor with many years of ministry experience realized that church workers need breaks to release pressure and regain strength. Every year, her church arranges a three- to seven-day trip for over 100 workers (including volunteers), with expenses covered by the church. During these team-building trips, she gave short sermons but leaf most of the time for them to relaxa and communicate. Initially, all staff workers went out together, but later they found it more effective to split into small groups since the relationships between them were closer there.
A central church in a city of Liaoning holds one or two outings for its workers every year. I participated in one where everyone went to the seaside for swimming, and barbecuing. People put down their burdens of ministry, and the church leaders and workers built closer relationships.
Support From Believers Is Also Important
Pastors are often in a position of giving, but in fact, they also need feedbacks from believers. Sometimes positive feedbacks from believers can give pastors much comfort and strength.
A young pastor in Hunan candidly admitted that he had considered leaving the church more often in his church. But it was the love of believers that sustained him through challenges. After graduating from seminary, he was invited to pastor a church he knew little about. In his twenties, he had to face the pressure of ministry, handle relationships between staff workers with believers, and manage financial stress, often feeling overwhelmed by the idea of giving up. However, every time he thought about the love of the believers he was shepherding, he found the strength to continue.
He shared a particularly moving story. The church’s offerings were meager when he first arrived, and the weekly offering was only a few hundred yuan, barely enough for him to live on. But the church worked hard to support him, which both shocked and touched him. Meanwhile, some believers would occasionally put donations marked with his name into the offering box, and one anonymous believer supported him for a year and ten months straight. He kept all those envelopes, which kept him motivated to serve.
A senior pastor in Shenzhen also received love from unfamiliar believers. Once, she was invited to preach at another church, and a meal was carefully arranged for her by one believer. To her surprise, that believer later sent her local specialties from her hometown and insisted on tailoring a brand-name suit for her. This female believer said, "Pastors work so hard that they deserve to be well-loved."
- Edited & translated by Abigial Wu
Pastors are often in a position where they are needed, as believers seek their help when they face challenges. But what should pastors do when they are overwhelmed by long-term pressure or face problems they can't overcome? During my visits to diverse churches, I’ve encountered several pastors who have crossed this difficult threshold in different ways, as well as learned about some ways to support them.
Walk With the Lord While Affirming the Path of the Cross
Pastor Huang from northern China, who has been in full-time ministry for over 20 years, deeply resonates with this idea. He once said, "We must realize that Jesus walked the path of sacrificing, emptying himself, and giving. Yet, it is also a road of love and hope. If we always live inside our own fantasies and are unwilling to accept reality, then ministry can only become a burden for pastors."
Facing many challenges along the path of service, ministers must be prepared in advance. It is a good step to develop a good habit of spiritual discipline. Pastor Huang strives to use fragments of time in his daily life to read the Bible, meditate, or pray. “I used to think that spiritual devotions and ministry were separate, so I always wanted to set aside time for devotions. But as my responsibilities increased, I found that living by this principle was not very realistic,” he added, suggesting that ministry can also be part of a pastor’s spiritual practice.
“I can gain an accurate and deep understanding of God’s words in these ministries, such as preparing sermons, leading meetings, or visiting believers. Through ministry, I can also more deeply realize my lack of understanding of the word, which drives me to seek answers from God’s words,” he said.
Seek Help From Mentor
A senior pastor at a downtown church shared that she met a mentor during a gathering, and they hit it off straight away. Since then, they’ve stayed in touch. When she encounters problems she can't handle, she seeks help from this mentor, whose character has also deeply influenced and strengthened her.
A middle-aged pastor from a rural church in Nanning, Guangxi, is very grateful for the older pastor who founded the church, saying that this elder mentored him like Jesus taught his disciples. When he became the church leader, the elder pastor’s experiences in problem-solving helped him overcome difficulties. More importantly, he learned from this elder how to rely on God.
A younger pastor who also has a mentor believes that a wise person should seek out a mentor who can strengthen his faith.
If there is no personal mentor for support, going out to learn can also open up new paths. A young pastor living in an area where ministers are not well-supported realized during a study trip that churches that prioritize supporting their pastors tend to have thriving ministries and experience revival. After returning, he worked hard to push for change, and his church began to look completely different. Now, he is working to promote this idea to other churches in his region.
Self-Study
A pastor in central China, who has worked in the church for more than 40 years, was once severely hit during her ministry and took two years to recover from a low point, as she almost gave up serving in the church. During this time, she worked hard to learn, which helped herself out of the predicament.
In the early 1980s, after graduating from seminary, she began her full-time ministry. At first, she learned from an older pastor, gaining many valuable insights. After the elder retired, she became the chair of the municipal TSPM and the senior pastor of the central church.
At first, she managed to work under pressure. However, some believers were hurt due to a particular issue and many left the church, which devastated her. She chose to study related topics to heal herself, using the knowledge to assist her fellow church workers.
Li, a pastor born after 1985, also broke through his difficulties by self-study—particularly in how to improve spiritual lives of believers. After graduating from seminary, he was invited to a church with fewer than 100 members, where he was the only full-time minister. In actual ministry, Li realized that the knowledge he gained from seminary was far from sufficient, so he turned to thick commentaries. Three to five years later, he felt that his vision and capacity had broadened, and his pastoral ability had improved significantly. He then led several staff workers and believers in the church to tackle thick systematic theology books.
Team-Building Activities Organized for Church Workers
A pastor with many years of ministry experience realized that church workers need breaks to release pressure and regain strength. Every year, her church arranges a three- to seven-day trip for over 100 workers (including volunteers), with expenses covered by the church. During these team-building trips, she gave short sermons but leaf most of the time for them to relaxa and communicate. Initially, all staff workers went out together, but later they found it more effective to split into small groups since the relationships between them were closer there.
A central church in a city of Liaoning holds one or two outings for its workers every year. I participated in one where everyone went to the seaside for swimming, and barbecuing. People put down their burdens of ministry, and the church leaders and workers built closer relationships.
Support From Believers Is Also Important
Pastors are often in a position of giving, but in fact, they also need feedbacks from believers. Sometimes positive feedbacks from believers can give pastors much comfort and strength.
A young pastor in Hunan candidly admitted that he had considered leaving the church more often in his church. But it was the love of believers that sustained him through challenges. After graduating from seminary, he was invited to pastor a church he knew little about. In his twenties, he had to face the pressure of ministry, handle relationships between staff workers with believers, and manage financial stress, often feeling overwhelmed by the idea of giving up. However, every time he thought about the love of the believers he was shepherding, he found the strength to continue.
He shared a particularly moving story. The church’s offerings were meager when he first arrived, and the weekly offering was only a few hundred yuan, barely enough for him to live on. But the church worked hard to support him, which both shocked and touched him. Meanwhile, some believers would occasionally put donations marked with his name into the offering box, and one anonymous believer supported him for a year and ten months straight. He kept all those envelopes, which kept him motivated to serve.
A senior pastor in Shenzhen also received love from unfamiliar believers. Once, she was invited to preach at another church, and a meal was carefully arranged for her by one believer. To her surprise, that believer later sent her local specialties from her hometown and insisted on tailoring a brand-name suit for her. This female believer said, "Pastors work so hard that they deserve to be well-loved."
- Edited & translated by Abigial Wu
