People will leave your congregation. They will die. They will move. They will get mad. They will have personal problems they do not want to confront. They will find a shinier new toy down the road—better preacher, bigger ministries, etc. Ours is a consumer culture and that has infected the church. Get over it. You can’t lead people if you need people. Everybody ain’t gonna like you. Suck it up, buttercup!
Now, if you have abused them, neglected them, or in some other sinful way failed them, repent and seek reconciliation! Since pastors are not perfect, and people we pastor are not perfect, then the formula for interpersonal issues is ever present. Yet, many are unwilling to admit there are issues and try to resolve them. Pastor, lead the way, but recognize that some will not want to deal with this messy business. They will move on. Bless them, and you move ahead without them!
Certainly we grieve for every sheep that strays from the flock and must do what we can to seek them. But, after repeated efforts, understand that some are not sheep—they are goats. Jesus was the only perfect leader, and He even had to let one of his twelve disciples walk away. For, the rest of us, it will happen with more frequency. You will grieve, but the mission is greater than a particular member—so, take up the cross and follow Jesus.
At the end of the Apostle Paul’s ministry, most seemed to have abandoned him. It hurt—and it will hurt you. Do you think he was a failure? It is a ludicrous suggestion. It is life in a fallen world—and that is the spot where we serve. Paradise is coming, but we are not there yet. So, don’t sit in a corner, and sulk. Stop your whining and get busy doing what you can!
The great Jonathan Edwards was used of God to bring spiritual awakening and thereby contributed in a significant way to the birth of America. His sermon, “Sinners In the Hands of an Angry God,” is renowned, centuries later. His congregation fired him! Ultimately, we serve the Lord Christ, and we can leave the rewards and recognition to Him.
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