The pastor needs a break too from the grind of his job because, as I wrote earlier, he cannot simply clock out and be done with work for the day.  His job often requires him to respond to emergencies, to answer questions, to ensure that things at the church are functioning properly, that counseling appointments get scheduled, to make emergency visits to the ER or the hospital to visit with someone who was hurt or sick…plus all of his family duties too. 

Myth Number One: We Don’t Get Depressed

A great number of the heroes of the Bible suffered from depression like Jonah, Elijah, and Moses.  One of the greatest preachers of the Word, Charles Spurgeon, also suffered from depression.  A recent study from an international Christian ministry, Christafair, who call themselves “musicianaries of the gospel,” indicated that 70% of pastors battle with depression….

Myth Number Two: We’re Not Like Others

Many people might be surprised to know that pastors are only human and we battle sin and temptation just like everyone else….

Myth Number Three: Pastors Work only Sundays

Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact that many are bi-vocational pastors shatters this myth.   Most pastors only have one day off a week.  Some use Monday to recuperate while others take Friday but often these men use their day off to study and prepare for their next sermon.  A pastor has to make sure that home maintenance is done, that the bills are paid, and that the children are fed, bathed, and homework done….

Myth Number Four: Sermons Come Easy

This is about as far from the truth as anything.  When I am working on the next message or a series of messages, it is as hard to study and prepare as it was when I was going through seminary at the graduate level.  There is nothing easy about studying and researching for a message.  It takes intensive study to prepare for every message.  It’s not as easy as opening the Bible and reading verse by verse. Pastors have to see the context of the passages, the historical setting, the background, the audience, the author’s intent and then make the congregation see how these apply to their lives….

Myth Number Five: Pastors are the Evangelists

This is true, pastors are called to not only preach the messages to the congregation but to be witnesses to the community at large but we are not the only ones responsible for this.  One person told me that they don’t have the gift of evangelism but I was not aware that this was a gift; it’s a command for all believers to be His witnesses.  We are all ministers of the gospel in a sense….

Myth Number Six: Pastors Don’t Need Vacations

This might seem like it’s not a myth but many believe that pastors just have to stay at home and work on sermons and don’t really need a vacation because they really don’t have a job.  Yes, that’s what I heard once.  Someone said that they wished they had my job but being a bi-vocational pastor at a small church is very hard.  For one thing, I don’t have an associate pastor or anyone to cover for me when I am gone so I typically don’t take off on any Sundays.  I recommend that a pastor should take off at least one Sunday every three months to recharge and refresh their spiritual batteries and to take a vacation with their family and do something that their family loves to do.  Sadly, many pastors take a “working vacation” taking their cell phone and laptop with them and they end up doing work for the church even on vacations.  This is a very bad idea….

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