AGROS MINISTRIES

Ministers in Crisis

In this age we live in ecumenical Christian leaders are under siege. Stress levels are up as is the dropout rate among our men and women of ministry- It is reported that nearly one half of all who enter full-time ministry will quit within 5 years. This is true of mission agencies, as well as local church and extension ministries. In 1991 the Fuller Institute of Church Growth, under the direction of Dr. Arch hart gave these statistics:

90% of pastors work more than 46 hours per week.

80% believe that pastoral ministry is affecting their families negatively.

33% say that being in ministry is clearly a hazard to my family.

75% have reported a significant crisis due to stress at least once in their ministry-.

50% felt unable to meet the needs of the job.

90% felt they were not adequately trained to cope with ministry' demands placed upon them,

40% reported a serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month.

70% of pastors do not have some-one they would consider a close friend.

37% have been involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with some-one in the church.

70%. have a lower self-image after they've pastored than when they started.

While these statistics take in a yen' broad base of pastors. they also give an accurate picture of what is going on in fundamental circles. One of our sister fundamental associations has had 65 men leave ministry for immorality in the past 14 years. Even the IFCA has not been exempt from ministry' attacks. We have had 75 men disciplined out of ministry'. Those reasons included: doctrinal heresy, improper financial dealings, sowing discord, immorality, and others.

As we look to the future of our fellowship and the needs of our leaders in these last days, the breath of God through Jude will tell us how we can remain blameless and "contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3).

WE NEED A VITALITY FROM AN OLD SOURCE.

Jude 4-16 exposes those who would destroy the purity of the church by corrupting it from the top down. As certain persons creep in unnoticed and take on leadership roles, the spirit of the church, its vital-icy is stripped away. When this happens, these new ungodly leaders will, "turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ" (Jude 4).

How can this be prevented? How can we maintain the proper vitality that will keep us contending? Jude tells us of an old source. "But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. But you. Beloved, building yourselves tip on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit,' keep yourselves in the love of God waiting anxiously for the mercy or our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life." Here is true vitality! A vitality from art old source, the Word of God. The weeping prophet Jeremiah rejoices in this vitality, "Thy words were found and late them, and thy words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by thy name, 0 Lord God of Hosts" (Jeremiah 15:16).

As ministers we can get so busy doing the work of God that we can forget the source of our vitality is not in the adrenaline rush of professional ministry but in our ongoing personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Our continued feasting on the word allows us to grow in faith, that produces fervent prayers, that brings about a deep longing to meet the Lord in the air and he with him for-ever. It is this type of vitality the church needs today to contend earnestly for the faith

VISION FOR A NEW ACE

In his book, Ashamed of the Gospel, John MacArthur, Jr. gives the quin-tessential reason for many of difficulties facing today's ministers. In chapter one, "Christianity on the Downgrade", John says. "They have introduced into the church a philosophy of pragmatism and a spirit of 'worldliness that, if left unchecked, will eventually reap the same bitter honest as the modernism of a hundred years ago." He goes on to tell how this manifests itself In a market-driven ministry. This has caused the vision of the ministry to be almost irretrievably obscured. Psychology, entertainment, demographics, and marketing trends seem to be the new seminar,,", replacing God's vision for his church.

Jude. on the other hand, tell us, "Have mercy on some who are doubting, save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh." To Jude, our vision is not a pragmatic market-driven ministry. His vision is to do "the work of the ministry to the building up of the body of Christ." His vision is seeing lives changed. His vision recognizes sin and punishment. His vision is active in the building of Jesus' church. His vision fights to keep the gates of hell from prevailing. Jude illustrates for us what Paul 'wrote- in Ephesians 5:15-16,

"Therefore be careful how you walk not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil." It is this type of vision the church needs today to contend earnestly for the faith.

VIABILITY FROM ABOVE

'Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of his glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all rime and now and forever Amen;

What makes us viable Is it the size of our ministries . . . the number of degrees . . .being on the right boards or committees . . . not being a washout in ministry? God forbid! God has called us to ministry, not because of anything in us, but of who he is and what he will do in us and through us. Our viability is Jesus In order for fundamental Christian leaders to win the siege brought against us, we must be immersed in the truth that it is God who is at work in us, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. This keeps us personally feasting on his Word, illustrating the grace of God by our faith and ever increasing prayer life In this vitality, God's vision for the world is realized. As we fulfill our ministry as ambassadors for Christ and fishers of men, we illustrate Christ’s work in us. It is this type of viability the church needs today to 'contend earnestly for the faith."

Rev. Richard D. Floyd has been a pastor for 17-years He is currently Servant Director of Solitary Ministry, an ministry to IFCA wives and pastors in crisis.

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