Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 20

How to Manage a Constant Complainer in the Church

The grouchy grumbler. The negative naysayer. The gloomy pessimist. Complaining has many forms. Not every complaint is toxic. Sometimes, a complaint is warranted and can help to identify problems. Additionally, everyone needs to vent from time to time. But many churches have at least one person who complains about everything.

Constant complaining can easily control the narrative within a congregation. People focus on the negative. Complaints get more attention than compliments. When a constant complainer has a prominent voice, negativity is amplified and misrepresents the actual state of the church. When someone trumpets a series of baseless complaints, they are like a young child discovering a live mic in a room full of people. The noise is loud, overbearing, and impossible to ignore.

Consider the emotional and spiritual impact of chronic complaining.

The more you complain, the less room you give gratitude and appreciation.The more you complain, the higher the likelihood you become addicted to drama.The more you complain, the greater the chance you weigh others down with negativity.The more you complain, the more you spread the contagion of pessimism.

What are some warning signs a constant complainer is gaining too much influence over others in the church?

The complainer uses negativity to garner sympathy and leverage power.The complainer dominates discussions with perceived problems yet offers no solutions.The complainer repeats pessimistic views to recruit others to a vague cause.The complainer dumps objections on people with no leadership roles in the church.

When you encounter a constant complainer, what should you do? How can you manage this person without fueling the fire of negativity?

Do not engage complainers in a back-and-forth debate. They feed on negativity. More attention only draws more complaints.

Do not jump to harsh discipline. Often, this kind of move validates the complaints and proves the point of the complainer, bringing others into the mix who view your actions as unjust.

Do not appease complainers with positions of church leadership. Far too many churches have made the mistake of assuming a committee position, a board seat, or a deacon role will shift the mindset of complainers. In most cases, they use their newfound authority to complain even more.

Ask the complainer what he or she views as a positive outcome. Put them on the spot. Make them go on the record with something constructive. Then, keep redirecting the person back to this outcome.

Give the complainer opportunities to work towards a solution. But not with large groups or with more sensitive people. For example, if a complainer does not like the Sunday school curriculum, ask them to research alternatives. This kind of task can be accomplished alone.

Pray with the complainer and focus on guidance from the Holy Spirit. The temptation is to ignore complainers or pass them off to others. The better option is to engage complainers with a time of genuine prayer.

Remove the complainer from settings where complaints can be amplified. You must protect the church and the complainer. Much damage can occur when you allow complainers to be the megaphone of negativity among a large group.

Constant complainers are exhausting to those around them, and they never seem to exhaust their stream of negative perspectives. Remember, pessimism is a weight. Optimism is an investment. As a leader in your church, you have a responsibility to convey a hopeful message to your congregation.

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The Death of the Baby Boomers: 7 Things That Will Take Place in Your Church (A Church Answers Research Article)

It is strange to write about the death of the Baby Boomers because I am one of them. Indeed, this article was a reminder of my own mortality.

While the implications of the death of this generation go far beyond church life, we who lead and love churches should prepare for this unavoidable reality. Here are seven brief reminders of which we are reasonably certain from a simple demographic perspective.

1. Pastors will do more funerals. The Baby Boomer generation kids were primarily the children of the World War II veterans and their spouses. When the veterans returned from the battlefields, they came home with a sense of hope and optimism. That positive outlook led to a desire to bring children into this world. They created a population boom not seen before. Between 1946 and 1964, 76 million Baby Boomers were born. Now, the demographic reality is that those 76 million will die at a similar pace. Currently, 2.6 million Boomers are dying each year. That number will approach 4.0 million by 2037. In other words, there are presently over 7,000 Boomer funerals every day. In just 12 years, the number of funerals a day will be almost 11,000 (U. S. Census Bureau).

2. Attendance will decline. While this forecast is not inevitable for every congregation, it will be a reality for many churches. Baby Boomers are overall the most active church members. An astounding 71% attend church either weekly, twice a month, once a month, or occasionally. To put it another way, only 28% of Baby Boomers say their church attendance is “seldom or never” (Pew Research). We are losing our most faithful attendees every day.

3. Attendance frequency will decline. Church Answers was at the forefront of demonstrating that a decline in attendance frequency was the single most significant factor for overall attendance decline. Sam Rainer and I began writing about it over a decade ago. Here is an article I wrote in 2013. Baby Boomers are not only the most committed generation to church attendance, they attend with the most significant frequency. Nearly four out of ten (38%) Baby Boomers attend church once a week (Pew Research). No other generation is close to that level of frequency.

4. Giving will decline. Though the research is not always consistent in this area, overall, Baby Boomers account for about 40% of church giving (for example, 42% according to churchstewardshipnetwork.com). Again, this point is not inevitable for all congregations, but we do know that a good portion of church giving will die with the Baby Boomers.

5. Churches will miss out on the greatest transfer of wealth in history. Cumulatively, the Baby Boomers will leave a lot of money behind at their deaths. Much of it will go to their family members and other individual heirs. Another good portion of it will go to non-profit organizations other than churches. But local congregations are largely missing out on this wealth transfer for one simple reason: they are not asking their members to consider this legacy giving to their churches. In the meantime, colleges, universities, parachurch ministries, and other non-profits do not hesitate to ask your church members for legacy giving. How large is this wealth transfer? I have seen estimates range from $53 trillion (Cerulli Associates, New York Times) to $84 trillion (Kiplinger).

6. Innovation and change in churches will improve. Our team has conducted hundreds of church consultations. I did my first consultation in 1988. We have a plethora of anecdotal data and church member interviews where we see that Baby Boomers are often the most resistant to change. Indeed, in some of the churches, the Baby Boomer members decided to close the church rather than infringe upon their personal preferences (Church Answers Research). Many churches will likely have new opportunities to make needed changes for greater congregational health as the Baby Boomers fade from the scene.

7. Institutional loyalty will continue to wane at an accelerated pace. Baby Boomers have been the most institutionally loyal generation since the 1970s to today (sciencedirect.com). That is good if the institution is healthy. But institutional loyalty for loyalty’s sake is not always good. It is incumbent on church leaders to demonstrate why the local church is a place that can make a difference in this world for the glory of God. As the Boomers die, so will their default commitment to the local church.

The Baby Boomer generation changed the culture, the economy, politics, and churches due to their unprecedented numerical presence. Now, the Baby Boomers are dying at a rate of over 7,000 a day, a rate that will continue to increase over the next several years.

Local churches will have many challenges as a result of the fading of the Baby Boomers. But, likewise, those same churches will have an abundance of opportunities. May God increase His power in those churches that are ready to make a difference in this changing world and culture.

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One of My Biggest Regrets in Ministry

I’m at the point of life where I’m both planning for the future and reflecting on the past. As I think back on 40+ years of ministry, including 14 years of lead pastoring, here is one of my biggest regrets: I did not invest in college students well. We gave a great deal of attention to youth (junior and senior high students) and to young married couples, but we were guilty of neglecting our college students. 

Let me tell you why I regret this omission. First, there were college students all around us. We had a number of our own members who were studying locally and around the country—but we tended to give them little attention once they were not with us every week. Even within our county in Ohio was a large public university that should have served as a mission field for us. 

That might be the case for you, too. More than 18 million students attend college in the U.S. They are at a pivotal stage of life that almost forces them to consider their basic belief systems. They are often inquisitive and open to other belief systems. This latter fact is a good thing when churches and believers reach out to them, share the gospel with them, and live a strong Christian life alongside them; it’s not such a good thing when no believers walk beside them as they’re wrestling with serious life questions. 

At the same time, more than 1 million of these students are international students who have come to the U.S. to study. Most of these students actually never visit an American home. God is bringing the nations to us—often nations that are not open to a gospel-focused missionary presence—but our churches are often missing this opportunity. I know my church, under my leadership, did. 

Here’s a second reason I carry this regret: college students who truly love Jesus can be some of the most on-fire, zealous evangelists and disciple-makers in our churches. Even as I write this post, I’m in South America traveling with an almost 19-year-old college student I consider my grandson. I’m walking with him as he considers a call to missions. I came on this trip thinking I would simply be “Papaw Chuck” helping him out, but it’s become more than that. As I learn more of his passion for Jesus, hear him communicate the gospel in almost every conversation, and learn of other young students he’s investing in, I find my commitment to Christ challenged. In fact, my faith feels a bit routine and stale right now in light of a college student’s zealous commitment to Christ. 

Actually, I often experience something like that each time I have opportunities to hang out with believing college students these days. I almost always come away praying, “God, give me that zeal again.” Thus, I realize now that I likely would have been a better pastor years ago had I given more attention to the college students in our area. That’s why this oversight remains one of my biggest ministry regrets today. 

I don’t want you to have this same regret. So, I challenge you to:

Reach out to college students in your church. Check on them. Encourage them. Pray with them. Check out gospel ministries in any local college or university around you. Get to know their leaders. Ask how your church can assist that work. If there is no such work in that university, find out if you can start one. Finally, may I ask you to pray for my grandson as he seeks the Lord’s will this week? I thank you for this prayer support.

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The CHRINO: Christian in Name Only

Nearly seven out of ten (69%, Cultural Research Center) of American adults self-identify as a Christian. With an adult population (18 years and older) of 259 million people (census.gov), that means there are 179 million people in the U. S. who self-identify as a Christian.

179 million. That’s a lot of people.

But how many of those people are really Christians? How many genuinely believe that Christ is the only way of salvation? How many can affirm Jesus’ words in John 3:3, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (NLT)?

I am attempting to quantify how many of those who claim the label of Christians are not really Christians. How many of them are CHRINOs, Christian in name only?

It is a complex exercise. Ultimately, I cannot know the hearts of men and women. But is it fair to make an estimate? Is it fair to make assumptions that cannot be proved? Can we really provide the number of CHRINOs in America, even if it’s not precise?

I think the answer to all of those questions is “yes,” and I will indeed provide an informed guess at the number of CHRINOs in the United States.

Some Points to Consider

As I delve into my methodology, specific points and caveats are necessary. There is no such thing as a perfect approach to this task. Consider the following:

I use doctrinal filters in my assessment. The primary filter I use is the belief that Christ is the only way of salvation. In other words, if someone does not affirm that salvation is by Christ alone, I do not consider them a Christian. If they self-affirm they are a Christian while denying this essential doctrine, I categorize them as CHRINOs.Even though I use a critical biblical doctrine as my filter, I realize my approach has weaknesses. For example, someone could cognitively affirm the doctrine but not have a personal relationship with Christ. Or someone could simply misunderstand the question and respond in the negative even though they are Christians at heart.My purpose in completing this exercise is to inform church leaders and members. I am convinced that most American congregations have lost their urgency to evangelize. Likewise, I am convinced that many of our members are biblically uninformed. I hope and pray that this data could serve at least as an early wake-up call for churches and their leaders.There has been substantive research on church attendance, beliefs among Christians, and surveys about Christian self-identification. I can use that research as foundational to this brief report.Where Are the CHRINOs?

We begin with the data point of 69% self-identifying Christians noted earlier. How many of those 179 million American adults are really Christians? Or, inversely, how many of those adults are CHRINOs?

Are there CHRINOs in the church? The data points to a clear response of “yes.” For example, we have conducted the same survey in churches since 1996. The data is a treasure trove of information from a longitudinal perspective. The survey asks the fundamental question of salvation through Christ alone. This survey is typically completed by active church members, usually those who attend twice a month or more. Among these most active members, 19.5% could not strongly affirm that Christ is the only way of salvation (Church Answers Research, 2022 data).We then estimate that the number of CHRINOs would be more significant for the occasional attendees and CEO (Christmas and Easter Only) attendees. Though we don’t have granular data for these attendees, we know that belief dissipates significantly with reduced church involvement. Thus, a conservative estimate of CHRINOs in this group is 50%.Among self-identified evangelicals, only 55% affirm salvation by Christ alone. We thus take the inverse of this response and conclude that 45% of evangelicals are CHRINOs (Cultural Research Center, Arizona Christian University).We can also look at church membership as another beginning point to estimate the number of CHRINOs. In 2021, 47% of Americans were church members, down from 70% in 2000 (Barna). We can then estimate that the number of self-identifying Christians who have no church affiliation is around 60 million. We can speculate that many (most?) of them are CHRINOs.The Estimate of CHRINOs in America

My exercise in sharing the data above was likely tedious, but I wanted you to see I have at least some basis for my final estimate. I conservatively estimate that at least 40% of church members are CHRINOs. 

Among the general population of self-identifying Christians, I estimate that 60% are CHRINOs.

From a practical viewpoint, these numbers indicate that you likely can do much evangelism in your church. Four out of ten of your own church members are not Christians. They are CHRINOs.

Again, from a practical perspective, the estimates mean that a conversation with someone about the gospel should not end if they say, “I am a Christian.” Six out of ten self-identifying Christians are CHRINOs.

Both estimates are staggering. We have much work to do. Complacency is not an option.

Jesus said, “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter” (Matthew 7:21, NLT).

 

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When Leading Means Disappointing People (and Other Fear of Man Issues)

Leading is an intricate dance between love and discomfort. It’s the constant wondering of what people think, the unspoken desire to please those we guide, and the simultaneous need to make decisions that might stir discomfort. This internal tug-of-war is not just a leadership challenge; it’s a deeply personal journey. 

As women leaders, we find ourselves grappling with the fear of man, eager to foster unity but often realizing that true leadership requires choices that might be met with resistance. If you are finding yourself on an endless cycle of doubt, insecurity, and second guessing, here are a few reminders to help you navigate the tension and move forward. 

Making Tough Decisions with Purpose

No leader can meet everyone’s expectations. I think I should state that again: No leader can meet everyone’s expectations. As a leader, our job is to assess what our people need, pray for wisdom as we shepherd them, and take them forward. Most of the people that we lead will be a mix of change-resistors to change-lovers. We must listen well, assess the positives and negatives, and then move them toward the greater mission and purpose of your ministry’s vision. The purpose isn’t rooted in making people happy, but making people holy. 

Resilience as a Leadership Skill

Resilience is a skill we all need to build. Acknowledging disappointments as part of the leadership landscape helps us bounce back with grace. You will not always lead the meeting with patience and understanding. Sometimes you will wish you had done it a different way. Most often you will wish you said it differently or with different timing. Leadership doesn’t mean you have to do all things perfectly, but it does mean navigating disappointments with a teachable and determined spirit. 

Grounding Identity in Truth

Our identity as women leaders is anchored in our faith and in the nature of God rather than solely in our capabilities. The Bible introduces us to numerous men and women who faced insecurities, struggled with past sins, and encountered challenging circumstances, yet God utilized them despite their weaknesses and flaws. This becomes the litmus test of our confidence—whether it rests in our abilities or in the One who has gifted those abilities to us. 

Transparent Communication for Understanding

Effective leadership involves transparent communication. Explaining the reasoning behind our decisions fosters a deeper understanding within our community. Transparent communication isn’t about being flowery but about being clear and open, creating a space for unity amid diverse perspectives. I have learned that many of the instances where I have failed to communicate well often have led to negative outcomes and a breakdown in trust. 

Learning and Growing from Feedback

Feedback is a valuable tool for growth. Approaching feedback with a practical mindset allows us to learn and improve continually. It’s not about taking everything to heart but extracting insights that contribute to the ongoing refinement of our leadership skills. Asking myself questions like: could I have communicated this sooner or differently?; what conversations did I have that helped me to hear points of anxiety or concern and how to respond?; or how could I include more collaborative voices and perspectives next time to improve major changes? Feedback not only helps us hone our skills, but it helps us know our people–and when we know them, we can lead them. 

If we are leading well, we will be disappointing people. It involves making tough decisions, embracing disappointments, and overcoming the inclination to please everyone. As we navigate this journey, let’s prioritize the mission, cultivate resilience, ground ourselves in faith, communicate transparently, and view feedback as a tool for growth. In doing so, we not only lead authentically but also continue to point people to the God who is faithful, good, and working even in the seasons of discomfort and change for His glory and our good.

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Only Liberal Denominations Are Declining? The Real, Data-Driven Answer

It’s a phrase I often hear when discussing denominational membership data in the United States.  

“Liberal churches are declining, while conservative ones are holding steady or growing.”

This narrative has become deeply embedded in the vernacular of many American evangelicals. In 2005, Dave Shiflett wrote a book called  Exodus: Why Americans are Fleeing Liberal Churches for Conservative Christianity, which made that point exceedingly clear. At the time of its publication, its subtitle was supported by substantial empirical data. However, in the nearly two decades since its publication, the landscape of denominational Protestant Christianity has changed dramatically. As a result, many conclusions drawn by the author no longer apply.

Social scientists studying religion divide white Protestants into two distinct camps: evangelical and mainline. Mainline denominations derive their name from their historical practice of building churches on the main thoroughfares of growing American cities and towns. This practice was widespread in the

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How Can a Christian Vote with a Peace of Mind?

Every election cycle comes with a number of attacks, scandals, and playground-like na-na, na-na, boo-boos. We gravitate towards drama, while at the same time complaining of the lack of leadership. We can’t have it both ways. The melodrama of a soap opera does not produce a strong protagonist. So, how can a Christian vote with a peace of mind?

Know your vote matters. Elections change things. And in our country, we are part of the process. The people we elect make a difference—for better or worse. You may think parts of the system are open to corruption. I sympathize. However, not voting is not a good option. One of my life mottos is, Be part of the solution, not the problem. Not voting makes you more of the problem than the solution. Your vote matters because it shows your commitment to the common good of society. No Christian should disengage from the common good.

When we vote, we’re not binding our consciences to a particular candidate. We are simply trying to better our country as best we can. Part of “loving your neighbors” is caring about issues affecting them (not just issues affecting you). You can be and should be a selfless voter, loving your neighbor as you vote for a candidate. Your vote matters, for you and for your neighbor.

Consider the whole of a candidate. Every candidate is going to say something stupid, and it will be plastered all over social media. The devices record 24/7. Mistakes are harder to hide these days, which is good. But the smallest clip can now make it across the ocean in a nanosecond. So, look at the whole of what a candidate has done and the whole of who a candidate is.

Vote as a citizen of God’s kingdom. I love my country deeply, but my love for King Jesus is greater. This world is passing away, so our primary goal is to build God’s kingdom. I’m sometimes asked, “What if you can’t vote your conscience with a particular choice of candidates?” My recommendation is to write-in someone.

Human dignity is a critical issue. Government is God’s servant for good. It is your duty to vote for people who will fulfill Romans 13. Other issues are important, but where a candidate stands on human dignity and the sanctity of life will inform us of how they will govern. This is justice at its most basic level: we have an obligation to the most vulnerable in our society. We should vote for the candidate that will do the greatest good, and that begins with what you will do to defend the most defenseless.

Choose honor over insults. Elections are contentious. They have been for most of our nation’s history. But this point isn’t about the candidates. It’s about you. You need to filter what comes out of you just as much as what goes in you.

Pray for those in elected positions. It just might change your tone if you consistently pray for people in leadership. A revival of praying believers could spark a revival in the three branches of our government.

I write with trepidation. Any mention of politics can get you in trouble. Throw politics into the context of the local church, and the mood can quickly turn caustic. But every Christian has a responsibility to vote. Don’t fall into the melodrama. Vote with peace of mind.

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AI and Church Answers: Full Disclosure

Note: This article is original. None of it is AI-generated. (You will understand why I led with this disclaimer later in the article.)

Adding to the conversation about AI (artificial intelligence) is a challenge. There is a ton of information available now. Frankly, I don’t know how much of the information about AI is AI-generated itself. You probably have read about the proliferation of generative AI, that subset of artificial intelligence that produces summarized content. Generative AI provides massive amounts of summarized content at a mind-numbing speed. For better or worse, entire books have already been written by AI.

So, for this article, I will share the position we’ve taken at Church Answers. Hundreds of thousands of readers and listeners depend on our content through our articles, blogs, books, webinars, conferences, and podcasts. It is incumbent upon us to let you know how we are using AI at Church Answers.

1. All of our content is and will continue to be original content. Church Answers has four primary content writers: Ryan Burge, Chuck Lawless, Sam Rainer, and Thom Rainer. We’ve all committed to giving you original content at Church Answers. If, at any time, we use generative AI in our content, we will disclose it. Please understand that our process is slower. We still have human writers. Though we will use AI to help us edit what we’ve written, we still use human editors for our final drafts. We realize this process will put us at a productivity disadvantage, but it is the path we’ve chosen. 

2. Church Answers will comply with and attempt to be proactive as disclosure laws become pervasive and mandated. Not all government oversight is big brother in nature. Some of it, like good copyright laws, protect those who create original content. The European Union passed the EU AI Act in late 2023. It will become the law of the land after the member states pass it. Essentially, the act mandates full disclosure and transparency when using AI. Many who follow AI trends believe something like the EU AI Act will become law in other countries like the United States.

3. Church Answers is already using AI for some of our work. As noted in this article, we use AI as our proofreader. Most of the writers have their own favorite AI proofreading program. I use AI for many of the functions an assistant used to do. For example, we can send an AI-generated response when someone asks for my availability to speak in person or virtually. We all use AI to do massive search and summarization. We often ask AI to answer specific questions. Indeed, for those tasks, AI enhances our productivity multiple times. But, like the “old-fashioned” Google search, not all the content is correct. We must fact-check AI on essential items. We also use generative AI in much of our marketing content, though we use precise prompts to communicate accurate information.

4. I will personally use original content when I speak and preach. If I use AI-generated content at any point, I will disclose it as I would any other source. As a personal note to my pastor friends, please understand the blessings and cautions inherent in using AI for your preaching. If you use AI without disclosure, you are, in essence, plagiarizing other content because AI “wrote” it; you didn’t. As a further caution, there are many AI reviewers available today. If you use AI without credit, it is easy to catch. Your sermons today can be reviewed now and many years from now.

5. We will do our best to keep up with the world of AI and make adjustments for greater transparency. Admittedly, I have trouble keeping up with the fire hose of information on AI gushing forth every day. Our team attempts to be in the know about AI, and we will do everything we can to be transparent and ethical. We will let you know if we make substantive changes in our posture toward AI.

Church Answers is paradoxically on the cutting edge and resistant to some levels of change. We are on the cutting edge because we are doing all we can to keep up with the torrent of new information about AI. However, we are resistant to change our approach to provide our readers and listeners with original content. In that regard, we will be slower and more methodical in using AI.

We believe it is the best path to serve those of you who depend on our content. We also believe it is the right thing to do.

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Just Some Thoughts about My Pastoral Heroes

As I grow older, I’ve been thinking a lot about my pastoral heroes—both those still living and those now with the Lord. Here are some thoughts that come to mind:

These men are some of the most prayerful men I know. Prayer is in their DNA. These prayerful men are also most committed to Scripture reading and memorization. The Word of God just drips from their lips.These prayerful, Scripture-saturated men are some of the godliest people I have ever met. They’re sinners, too, but never have I heard them cross lines with their words or seen them transgress boundaries with their actions. These prayerful, Scripture-saturated, godly men are deeply committed to their family. You just know that they see their family as the gift of God they are privileged to lead. Their family adores them, too. These prayerful, Scripture-saturated, godly, family-focused men are also some of the most evangelistic people I’ve ever known. It’s fun to watch, actually, how these brothers naturally and passionately move a conversation to Jesus and the gospel. These prayerful, Scripture-saturated, godly, family-focused, evangelistic men are also some of the most Great Commission-minded leaders I’ve met. These men have hearts that break over their lost neighbors and over unreached peoples. They make time to travel overseas, and they also call out the called to the nations in their pastoral ministries. These prayerful, Scripture-saturated, godly, family-focused, evangelistic, Great Commission-minded men are dedicated to discipling other young men. That is, they do not keep their lives to themselves; they instead pour their lives into the next generation. They can name the men they’re investing in. These prayerful, Scripture-saturated, godly, family-focused, evangelistic, Great Commission-minded, disciple-making men rely on the Spirit. All the men I’m thinking of today speak often of the power of the Holy Spirit. They do not hesitate to talk about and rely on God’s presence and empowerment within them. These prayerful, Scripture-saturated, godly, family-focused, evangelistic, Great Commission-minded, disciple-making, Spirit-led men also recognize the reality of spiritual warfare. It’s interesting, really, how consistent it is among them—all these men understand that a supernatural enemy wants to devour them. They don’t live in fear of the enemy, but they are ever aware of his arrows.  These prayerful, Scripture-saturated, godly, family-focused, evangelistic, Great Commission-minded, disciple-making, Spirit-led, warfare-aware men deeply want to finish well. Some already have finished well, of course, and others realize that the finish line is not getting farther away. What’s most powerful to me is their commitment to fight for godliness all the way to the end. They pray, I suspect, something similar to one of the seven prayers one of my pastoral heroes prays each day: “that I would do nothing that would give the Adversary an opportunity to mock my Lord.”

I realize I’ve just piled up the characteristics here, but I’m simply reporting what I’ve seen. My pastoral heroes follow(ed) God with all their heart, their soul, and their mind (Matt 22:37)—and every area of their lives reflects the Father. Their commitment is hardly a “hit and miss” commitment; they’re all in. 

God, help me to do the same.

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Churches Should Close the Pay Gap for Women on Staff

I’ve noticed a disturbing trend in my (almost) 20 years of ministry. At first, I didn’t do much to solve the problem. I should have done more. Now, I voice concern, and I hope I’m a helpful voice.

Women on church staff tend to make less than men for similar roles. Depending on how researchers do the math, the current pay gap for women on church staff is between twenty-four cents and seven cents on the dollar, meaning women make anywhere between seven percent and twenty-four percent less than men. The national pay gap is around eighteen cents on the dollar. The national figure applies to all jobs, from unskilled labor to executive leadership.

The church can do better. We should lead the culture in solving the pay gap with women.

There are many reasons for the current pay gap between men and women on church staff.

It’s a historic trend. The pay gap for women on church staff was forty cents in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The trend is improving nationally, but it’s still a serious problem in many individual churches.Many churches have theological convictions about the roles of men and women, especially the primary preaching position. The purpose of this post is not to break down the nuances of complementarianism and egalitarianism. I simply want to address the obvious. Ministers on church staff with similar responsibilities should be paid similarly, regardless of gender. If your church gives a particular set of responsibilities to a woman, you should pay her fairly for them.Children’s ministries tend to employ more women. One way churches justify paying women less—whether intentionally or not—is by paying children’s ministers significantly less than other similar positions. For example, the pay package gap between children’s ministers and student ministers is between $10,000 and $15,000.Women are five times more likely to work part-time at a church than men. For those of us in ministry, we know part-time applies only to the pay, not the actual hours worked.Married women with children fare the worst in churches. They make twenty-eight percent less than men.

Most churches with women on staff likely have some pay gap problems. Inevitably, a few churches will have huge leaps to make. What can you do? Consider a few points as you take action and remedy the disparities.

Be proactive. Start researching the issue if you serve on an elder board, personnel committee, or executive staff. Understand where you are today. Then, make a plan to do something about it.Be thoughtful. Someone’s salary is typically a sensitive subject. Approach this topic with care.Be honest. If the pay gap exists in your church, then be open about the issue with female employees. They likely already know. Most will be glad you are recognizing the problem.Be protective. When corrective measures are made, don’t let the women on staff take the heat from the church. Redirecting questions—or even anger—back to the women on staff is cowardly. Own the problem and defend them if the church has an issue with the move.

Churches have made progress in this area over the past three decades. As with national trends, the pay gap is closing in churches. Wouldn’t it be great if the church was the first organization to solve the problem completely? It might just get the attention of our culture.

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