The Monster We’ve Created in Ministry—and Why We Must Kill It

Ministry today is a performance-driven machine. Every time I open my email, I’m bombarded with promotions from experts telling me how to preach better, grow bigger, lead more effectively, and, of course, become a “better leader.” They push the narrative that my sermon is the most important part of my ministry as if the pulpit should be the focal point of a pastor’s calling. And every time I read these messages, I feel a mix of frustration and sadness. This is exactly the problem with pastoral ministry today.

We’ve not only turned pastors into performers; we’ve also developed an unhealthy infatuation with leadership itself. We’ve been conditioned to believe that unless we embody the traits of an “exceptional leader”—visionary, strategic, dynamic—we are somehow failing in our calling. But leadership, as we’ve framed it, has become more of a distraction than an asset. It’s a corporate concept repackaged for the church, and it pulls pastors away from the relational, shepherding work they’re truly called to.

We’ve convinced pastors that their value is tied to the quality of their sermons, their ability to draw crowds, and their leadership “skills.” We’ve conditioned them to believe that if they aren’t managing their churches like CEOs, delivering perfectly polished messages, and growing their congregations by leaps and bounds, they’re not measuring up. But that’s not what it means to be a pastor. It’s what we’ve made it. And we’ve trained people to expect it. We built this monster—and only we can kill it.

Church Growth vs. Church Health

Don’t misunderstand me: I believe in church growth. Numbers matter because they represent people, and people matter. But we’ve got to get this straight—church health comes first. It’s the true measure of success. Healthy things grow; that’s a given. But just because something is large doesn’t mean it’s healthy. The biggest plants in my garden are the weeds, and they choke out everything else. They’re aggressive, invasive, and ultimately destructive.

This is the reality for many churches today. We’ve created environments where growth is everything, and health is secondary. We’ve pushed pastors to maximize their time, perfect their sermons, and “produce” at a rate that’s not only unsustainable but spiritually suffocating. And it’s killing them. Burnout is rampant. According to a Barna survey, 38% of pastors have seriously considered quitting in the last year alone. Why? Because the monster we’ve created is demanding more than they can give.

The World Wants Real, Not Polished

Here’s the hard truth: the world doesn’t need another perfect, polished, professional church. It doesn’t need another slick production or impressive event. In fact, the world is fed up with the superficial. People are hungry for what’s real. They want authenticity. They want leaders who aren’t afraid to be vulnerable, to show up as they are, and to walk alongside them in the mess of life.

The church of tomorrow—the one that’s going to thrive and be healthy—won’t be built around a personality, a platform, or a polished sermon. It won’t center on the pulpit, and it won’t look like the corporate model of success we’ve been chasing. It will be built around relationships—real, meaningful connections that speak to the needs people carry, needs the world cannot fulfill. It will be a place where people are known by name, where the pastor is present, not just on a stage but in the everyday, ordinary moments.

If the Pulpit Is Taken Away, Are You Still a Pastor?

This is the real test: if I took away your platform, your office, and your pulpit, how effective would you be as a pastor? Could you still do the work of ministry without a stage? Could you still shepherd your people if all the structures we’ve built around us were stripped away?

We need more pastors today who don’t see the pulpit as the pinnacle of their calling. Ministry doesn’t happen on a stage; it happens in conversations, in quiet moments of prayer, in showing up for people when they need you most. It happens in the living rooms, the coffee shops, and the hospital rooms—not under spotlights or behind microphones. If we can’t pastor without a study or a stage, then we’ve lost the essence of our calling.

And here’s a direct challenge: stop making sure people know your name, and start making sure you know theirs. That’s the pastor people want. That’s the test. A pastor who shows up for their people, who knows them personally, and who genuinely cares—that’s what ministry looks like. John 10:27 reminds us of this kind of leadership: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” I know them—that’s the heart of true pastoral ministry. It’s not about being known; it’s about knowing those you’ve been entrusted with.

The New Era of Pastoral Ministry

The new era of ministry will be defined by authenticity, presence, and relationship, not performance. We’ve been taking our cues from the corporate world for too long—measuring success by numbers, programs, productivity, and an obsession with leadership that often distracts from the real work of pastoring. But that’s not the Kingdom of God; it’s a cheap imitation. The church isn’t meant to be a business; it’s a body, a family, a community.

Jesus modeled this perfectly. He didn’t build His ministry around platforms or crowds. He didn’t obsess over numbers or efficiency. He invested deeply in a few, moved slowly, and valued relationships above all. He took time to be with people, to listen, to engage. That’s the model. That’s what we need to get back to.

If we want to enter this new era of pastoral ministry, we’ve got to kill the monster we’ve created. We need to redefine success—not by how many people show up on a Sunday but by the depth of our relationships and the health of our community. We need to prioritize our own spiritual well-being, rest without guilt, and model what it looks like to live an abundant life in Christ.

Back to Being Pastors, Not Performers

So here’s the challenge: let’s get back to being pastors, not performers. Let’s build churches where people are truly known, valued, and loved. Let’s create communities where authenticity is celebrated, where health is the priority, and where relationships are the foundation.

The monster we built is real, but we have the power to kill it. It starts with us as pastors, choosing to prioritize health over hype, depth over breadth, and presence over performance. And when we do that, we’ll find that ministry becomes less about the pressure to produce and more about the joy of walking alongside people, being there for them in the moments that truly matter.

It’s time to kill the monster. And the church—and the world—will be better for it. ◼︎

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