Pastors and Their Expectations

Everyone has expectations about life. We have expectations for our work, education, children, hobbies (the best golfer, the best surfer, the best gardener). Unmet expectations can result in disappointment, distress and unhappiness. This is especially true for pastors.

Years ago I was on the search committee for the church I attended. One evening we had a young man who had just completed seminary talk with our committee. He had already preached in the church and seemed to be everything we were looking for. Then he told us that there was no reason our church should not double in attendance in the coming year (if he was the pastor). That's a pretty big expectation to throw out there to people you don't even know, let alone who are considering hiring you to be their pastor. Who wouldn't hire a man who says your church will double in a year! Well, we did hire him, and guess what? The church did not double in the next year, though there was some growth. Now, how would you feel if you promised something that did not take place? Anxious? Disappointed? Embarrassed?

Pastors have expectations for their churches; expectations that center primarily, though not exclusively, on attendance. If the church is growing, everyone is happy. If the church is stagnant or declining, no one is happy, especially the pastor. If the stagnation or decline persists, it's a sure bet the pastor will soon be thinking of leaving for "greener" pastures. My thought is this: Does God share our expectations, or does He just expect us to do our best and leave the rest to Him? Think about it.