Today all the ministers in the Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist church gathered in Oklahoma City by request of our Bishop. After worshiping together and hearing a speaker talk about worship attendance, we were given the opportunity to ask questions. One of my friends, who I have known for over ten years, got up and asked the question of how ministers can spend time with the people and helping people fall in love with Jesus when our time is committed to administrative tasks. He became emotional when speaking of his passion for the people and his worry that his ministry hasn’t been effective. Of all the ministers I have known in my lifetime, he is one of the most passionate and contagious. I was surprised that he felt like so many other ministers.
I was in a chamber meeting recently when a man made a crack that ministers “sit in a chair and rake in money.” I told him that had not been my experience. (I don’t think he knew I was a minister, which means he really thinks this or he thought it would be funny.) My reality has been that most ministers work countless hours for little money. That they have education that far exceeds the requirements for almost every other field but the student loans take forever to pay off because of very little pay. No one becomes a minister for the money. The money is little for the work. People become ministers because they have fallen in love with the man and the ministry of Jesus. They want others to fill the hole in their lives with an overflowing love and forgiveness that is available. But often the job is so different. We spend our time with people who are hurting. Hurting from grief or disease. Hurting from divorce or job loss. Hurting from loneliness and feeling like they have no safe loving place. The other significant thing that takes time is administration. Taking care of budgets and bills are a significant part of the job. Often with not enough funds to meet the needs of the congregation. Church becomes about buildings instead of people. When ministers desperately want to become better lovers of God and people, they don’t have time to do either.
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