Forced Exits: A Too-Common Ministry Hazard

By John C. LaRue, Jr.

Forced out. If it hasn't happened to you, you at least are likely to know of a pastor who has been—fired or pressured to resign from a ministry position. But how common is that experience? What factors lead to forced exits? Can they be prevented? And if you're a minister fired by a church, how do you rebound? These are some of the questions answered by a new, nationwide study conducted for YOUR CHURCH. This is the first in a series of articles to examine the issue.

A Chronic Problem

Nine out of ten pastors (91%) know three to four others who have been forced out of pastoral positions. In fact, one-third of all pastors (34%) serve congregations who either fired the previous minister or actively forced his or her resignation. Perhaps more telling, nearly one-fourth (23%) of all current pastors have been forced out at some point in their ministry.

A large gap (11%) exists between the percentage of dismissed predecessors and the percentage of pastors who have themselves been ousted. Explanation: Many who are forced out do not return to a ministry position: 10 percent of dismissed predecessors left pastoral ministry.

How Common Are Forced Exits?

Pastors who know an ousted pastor 91%
Predecessor was forced out 34%
Have personally been discharged 23%
Ousted predecessor abandoned ministry 10%

Details Surrounding Termination

Among pastors who have been forced out, three-fourths (76%) have been terminated only once. Twenty-three percent have had it happen twice, and just 1 percent have been forced to leave three times. In their most recent experience, 13 percent were directly fired, 58 percent were forced to resign, and the remaining 29 percent resigned because of perceived, but not overt, pressure.

Forced Exit vs. Termination

Of those forced out:
Terminated 13%
Forced to resign 58
Pressured to resign 29

Some stages of ministerial life seemed more vulnerable to a forced exit than others, with the greatest likelihood of termination coming during the second pastorate. Over 4 in 10 pastors forced out were terminated at this stage compared to approximately 3 in 10 during the first pastorate and 2 in 10 for the third term. At the time pastors in the study were forced out, the largest portion (40%) held the position of solo pastor. A fourth (27%) were senior pastors with staff, and the remaining third held other pastoral staff positions.

During Which Pastorates Do Terminations Occur?

First 29%
Second 43
Third 24
Fourth 11
Fifth 12
Sixth 4

Reasons for Forced Exit

Where there is tension between pastors and lay leaders today, nearly 4 in 10 pastors (38%) see conflicting visions for the church as the greatest source of that tension. But this conflict was even more pronounced among pastors who were forced out—46% cite conflicting visions as the precipitating cause of their termination.

Other causes included personality conflicts (with congregations and/or church boards) and unrealistic expectations (by both pastors and congregations). In churches where the pastor was compelled to leave, conflict between the church board and the pastor were two-and-a-half times more likely to have occurred than in typical churches (38% vs. 15%). Conflict among church staff was another factor. Terminated staff members were nine times more likely to have had a personality conflict with a senior pastor than were staff members who were never discharged (19% vs. 2%). Finally, terminated pastors indicated they had had more misconceptions about ministry expectations than had other pastors (32% vs. 21%).

Reasons for Forced Exit

Conflicting visions for the church 46%
Personality conflict with board member(s) 38%
Unrealistic expectations 32%
Lack of clear expectations 24%
Personality conflicts (not with board members) 22%
Theological differences 21%
Personality conflict with senior pastor 19%

The Study

We mailed 999 surveys to a random selection of U.S. pastors who subscribe to LEADERSHIP, CHRISTIANITY TODAY, and YOUR CHURCH. A total of 593 pastors responded, giving a 59 percent response rate. With a sample this size, results are considered accurate to within plus or minus 4 percentage points 95 percent of the time.

Next time: High-Risk Churches.

Copyright © 1997 by the author or Christianity Today International/Your Churchmagazine. For reprint information call 630-260-6200 or e-mail yceditor@yourchurch.net March/April 1996. Volume 42, No. 2, Page 72