About Shepherds' Haven of Rest Ministries
Shepherds’ Haven of Rest Ministry’s purpose is to provide encouragement and time for pastors, staff members, missionaries and wives to rekindle the fires of their passion for God and ministry. We desire to create an atmosphere of rest and renewal for ministry couples. The long-term goal of SHOR ministries is to help curb the dropout rate of pastors and to see men and their wives serve the Lord in power and joy.
Our Perspective Concerning Those Who Minister
We believe in a God-called ministry. We believe that the vast majority of those who respond to God’s calling do so with a depth of commitment. They enter the ministry with vision, excitement, and an expectation of serving the Lord and making a difference in the lives of people. They prepare for their calling with advanced education and training. Something, however, happens along the way to cause most to fall by the wayside; God-called men who throw up their hands and walk away from their calling.
These are difficult and demanding days for those who serve as pastors, ministry staff members, and missionaries. The normal load of ministry is time intensive and taxing in itself. There are the physical demands, emotional stresses, and spiritual warfare every pastor faces. There is often the burden of unrealistic expectations by people in the church to be all things to all people and to be an expert in every field. There is the environment of conflict that has resulted in an epidemic of forced terminations and wounded victims. There is the consumer mentality among so many church goers that has pressured some to abandon Biblical ministry for fads and gimmicks in the search for success. It is a monumental tragedy that so many good, God-called, seminary-trained men are falling prey to these pressures. The stories are repeated far too often. Men who become so busy that their devotional lives suffer and their marriages are strained. Men who under the pressure of demands and conflict lose their passion and become disheartened, discouraged, or depressed and simply go through the motions of ministry without joy and power. Men who give up to mediocrity in ministry. Men who become so spiritually and physically depleted that they become vulnerable to temptations. Men who give and give to minister to the needs of others, but who feel alone and without someone to minister to their deep spiritual needs.
We believe also that many men and their wives do not have adequate time alone together. We see the need for quiet time with the Lord and each other as a requirement of effective ministry. Too often ministry controls our lives and drowns out any hope of quality time together. It is a must that couples have protected time to spend with each other and with the Lord.
Problems within Marriage
Marriage Problems Pastors Face: (800 Pastors surveyed)
from Facts and Trends magazine May 2002
from Facts and Trends magazine May 2002
Each month some 100 Southern Baptist pastors and staff members face forced termination.
- From Jim Henry, pastor First Baptist Church in Orlando Florida.Â
Only 1 of every 20 ordained to the gospel ministry actively serve until retirement.
- From H.B. London, Jr. Focus on the Family “Pastor’s Weekly Briefing”
Roughly 30% to 40% of religious leaders will drop out of the ministry and 75% go through a period of stress so great that they consider quitting (psychologist R. Blacklow, L.A. Times)
Of 1,400 ministers questioned, fewer than 20% receive any kind of annual recognition (Lifeway Christian Resources)
In 1998, Dr. Fred Gage (Wounded Heroes) stated that 6,000 SBC pastors leave the ministry each year — 225 of their pastors were fired each month.
Leadership has reported that 25% of those asked said they had been fired or forced to resign, normally by a faction of people that numbered fewer than 10.
Our Perspective Concerning Those Who Minister
We believe in a God-called ministry. We believe that the vast majority of those who respond to God’s calling do so with a depth of commitment. They enter the ministry with vision, excitement, and an expectation of serving the Lord and making a difference in the lives of people. They prepare for their calling with advanced education and training. Something, however, happens along the way to cause most to fall by the wayside; God-called men who throw up their hands and walk away from their calling.
These are difficult and demanding days for those who serve as pastors, ministry staff members, and missionaries. The normal load of ministry is time intensive and taxing in itself. There are the physical demands, emotional stresses, and spiritual warfare every pastor faces. There is often the burden of unrealistic expectations by people in the church to be all things to all people and to be an expert in every field. There is the environment of conflict that has resulted in an epidemic of forced terminations and wounded victims. There is the consumer mentality among so many church goers that has pressured some to abandon Biblical ministry for fads and gimmicks in the search for success. It is a monumental tragedy that so many good, God-called, seminary-trained men are falling prey to these pressures. The stories are repeated far too often. Men who become so busy that their devotional lives suffer and their marriages are strained. Men who under the pressure of demands and conflict lose their passion and become disheartened, discouraged, or depressed and simply go through the motions of ministry without joy and power. Men who give up to mediocrity in ministry. Men who become so spiritually and physically depleted that they become vulnerable to temptations. Men who give and give to minister to the needs of others, but who feel alone and without someone to minister to their deep spiritual needs.
We believe also that many men and their wives do not have adequate time alone together. We see the need for quiet time with the Lord and each other as a requirement of effective ministry. Too often ministry controls our lives and drowns out any hope of quality time together. It is a must that couples have protected time to spend with each other and with the Lord.
Problems within Marriage
Marriage Problems Pastors Face: (800 Pastors surveyed)
- 81% Insufficient time together
- 71% Use of money
- 70% Income level
- 64% Communication difficulties
- 63% Congregational expectations
- 57% Differences over use of leisure
- 53% Difficulty in raising children
- 46% Sexual problems
- 41% Pastor’s anger toward spouse
- 41% Spouses anger toward pastor
- 35% Differences over ministry career
- 25% Differences over spouses’s career
from Facts and Trends magazine May 2002
- From 298 calls in the last 6 months (Sept 2001 to Feb 2002):
- 40 pastors who were terminated
- 87 people suffering depression
- 80 needing information about Wounded Minister’s Retreats
- 36 with marital problems
- 20 suffering from addiction
- 35 some type of conflict at home
from Facts and Trends magazine May 2002
Each month some 100 Southern Baptist pastors and staff members face forced termination.
- From Jim Henry, pastor First Baptist Church in Orlando Florida.Â
Only 1 of every 20 ordained to the gospel ministry actively serve until retirement.
- From H.B. London, Jr. Focus on the Family “Pastor’s Weekly Briefing”
Roughly 30% to 40% of religious leaders will drop out of the ministry and 75% go through a period of stress so great that they consider quitting (psychologist R. Blacklow, L.A. Times)
Of 1,400 ministers questioned, fewer than 20% receive any kind of annual recognition (Lifeway Christian Resources)
In 1998, Dr. Fred Gage (Wounded Heroes) stated that 6,000 SBC pastors leave the ministry each year — 225 of their pastors were fired each month.
Leadership has reported that 25% of those asked said they had been fired or forced to resign, normally by a faction of people that numbered fewer than 10.
