By: Dr. Samori Swygert
Nigel Boys wrote an interesting article addressing the surge in pastoral suicides. He relayed the commentary that Bishop T.D. Jakes shared to the nation on this tragic phenomena. You can read it here.
T.D. Jakes attributes some of the suicides to a high stress, high demand position. Bishop Jakes said many pastors lack effective support systems. Bishop Jakes also said many are underpaid for their work. Furthermore, they deal with the fiduciary obligation to harbor secrets of their congregation.
First, to the family of these men, this is not an attack on you. However, much dialogue needs to be conducted on this topic of church leadership.
Career Vs. Calling
When I hear that pastors are overworked and underpaid, I get irritated. Who is the employer of a prophet of the word? Can you show me the human resources department responsible for hiring our pastors? What 401K and pension plan did the disciples have in the Bible? (Some pastors do have pension plans now)
These question seem like I’m poking fun, but I’m serious. Many pastors approach the gospel like a career. A prophet’s reward, pension plan, and retirement is in heaven with God.
Who promised that prophesying would be easy? Weren’t the disciples persecuted and killed in the Bible? Did not Jesus get crucified for preaching, teaching, exorcising, and healing? What criteria are our current pastors using to decide if they are called or just seeking a career? You retire from a career, but die a prophet.
If you can’t take the heat, get out the kitchen
Currently, we have pastors that adorn themselves in thousand dollar designer suits, have helicopters, private jets, Bentley’s, Jaguars, live in mansions, and preach prosperity all day. We’ve allowed Hollywood to monetize our faith with this Pastors of LA, and Preacher’s Wives reality shows.
This is all idolatry to be 100% real.
Why do you need a Bentley, Jaguar, helicopter, and Jet, when Jesus the Christ road into town on a donkey? Why do you need thousand dollar suits, when John the Baptist wore camel hair, and a leather girdle around his loins and ate locusts and wild honey? Why do you need a mansion when disciples dwelled in the wilderness? Roman 12:2 says, “be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”. Mark 8:36 says, “for what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul”. Now I’m not expecting pastors to ride donkeys in camel hair in the wilderness, but please explain how the necessity of luxury brings salvation.
Many pastors complain about the arduous task of pastoring and saving souls but if you can’t take the heat, get out the kitchen. Speaking of heat, let’s talk about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the book of Daniel. These three young men were thrown in a fiery furnace because of their strict faith and works for God. What government is actually threatening today’s pastors with death?
Why am I going so hard?
My father died when I was 6 years old, and my mother raised two young black males in New York City during the height of the crack era. She became a guidance counselor at Andrew Jackson High School, and August Martin High school in Queens while getting her Masters of Divinity. My mother got her hands dirty by choosing to do Prison Ministry at Wards Island (female prison) in New York, served as a hospital chaplain, and was a counselor to the children of incarcerated parents. So pardon me if I come off harsh but this new era of pastoral service and their complaints go in the wind to me, because not enough is being done!
Question of faith
Furthermore, this surge in suicides due to stress demonstrates a lack of faith in the message pastors are preaching to their congregation. How do you take the blessing of having the word and ears of the multitude and throw it away. This completely destroys parishioner’s faith in God. People shouldn’t worship their pastors, but people look to them for guidance. How does a person find direction when the tour guide is gone??
The prophets of yesterday spoke out to the government and ruling institutions of the day. You always heard about prophets speaking out against the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Sanhedrin, Moses going against Pharaoh, or Paul going against the Roman government? Preachers of today hardly speak up to the power construct that holds their very own congregation in subjugation.
Pastors of today have acquiesced and choose to partner with the government for tax exempt incentives, and faith based initiatives which have effectively neutered the church, and diluted the message. Rather than boldly confronting the real issues of their parishioners, many are choosing this luxury, smoke and mirrors ministry that is financially draining their parishioners through tithes and offerings. The congregation needs something more real and tangible.
Some pastors are now spreading HIV, impregnating teenage girls, sleeping with the wives of other men, molesting boys, misusing the churches “building fund”, and trying to get a star on the Hollywood walk of fame.
Pastors must understand that stress comes with the CALLING, because you are in direct competition with satan for souls. You can’t serve two masters. You can’t please man’s desires and seek to serve the Lord. You can’t be afraid to speak the word with unwavering faith despite what society, and the government says. If they killed Christ, what will they do to you? If you have a problem with that, then this position may not be for you. I have sympathy for the pastors that committed suicide, but these loss of lives brings a word of caution for individuals seeking to preach. I also know mental health is a serious issue, but it also underscores the eligibility for pastoring.
I also want to thank Dr. Nigel Boys for illuminating this topic. To the pastors that are doing their job……THANK YOU!
YOU CAN ASLO READ THIS AT: http://allchristiannews.com/dr-samori-swygert-revisiting-the-surge-in-pastoral-suicide/
