One Y/N Question, Not Just for Pastors
QUICK REVIEW: “The very nature of ministry lends itself to the care of others and the neglect of oneself.” True or False? RSVP
That quote is a line from Passages of a Pastor, a book I pulled off my shelf while working on a recent project.
When Zondervan published Cecil Paul’s book in 1981, it came highly recommended.
MY YES/NO QUESTION: While much has changed in both culture and church since then, is our understanding of the “very nature of ministry” the same? Yes or No? RSVP
Again, I look forward to hearing from you; any of the usual ways will work.
joescheets 
My dad is a retired Methodist minister. He has talkd with me about this. Who do you go to when you’re the one who needs ministering to? I don’t mesn listening to sermons, but dealing with the stresses of life in general, and specifically of the ministry? The District Superintendent who may or may not prefer helping you over sidlining you?
I served in the Air Force 20 years, and for most of that time if you went to mental health for help, you could lose your security clearance, and thus your job. Then about 30 years ago they realized how many they were losing to suicide and alcohol abuse. I thank God that they made this change and that a coworker told my supervisor how distraught I was over a letter I’d found and that when the supervisor made the appointment for me with mental health it saved my career instead of tanking it.
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Thank you, Jim
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I’ve spent a few years in the USAF myself. Our Second Core Value is “service before self”. I’ve been told a time or two we have to remember: “that’s service before self, not service instead of self.” I am grateful for all the selfless clergy throughout my life, but the the statement “The very nature of ministry lends itself to the care of others and the neglect of oneself” is FALSE.
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Key distinction there, Sir, indeed. Thank you!
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TYVM for this
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