YOUR CHURCH: Special Report

Forced Exits: Personal Effects
-by John C. LaRue, Jr.

Transitions, no matter what the cause, take their toll. This fourth in a five-part series shows that forced exits of pastors profoundly affect both pastors and their families. (A forced exit, as used here, means terminations or intense pressure to resign.) Based on a nationwide study conducted for Your Church, the first three reports covered how frequently forced exits occur, the characteristics of repeat-offender churches, and tactics to survive following a forced exit.

The Losses
A forced resignation affects the pastor, of course, but it also takes a heavy toll on the pastor's family. The need to find another career or another congregation to serve accounted for a great deal of personal upheaval.

Three-fourths of pastoral families had to move to a new residence. Two-thirds reported that their children had to change schools. And nearly two-thirds (64%) of pastors' spouses had to change jobs.

In addition to the geographical and career changes, internal turmoils also made an impact. Nearly six out of ten (58%) experienced a drop in their confidence as a leader. Most pastors (54%) report a heavy emotional toll on their spouse, and six out of ten say their family's ability to trust church leadership was undermined. On top of all of this, a surprising one in ten pastors experienced a major illness within 12 months of being forced out.

But it was not just the pastor's home that was affected. The church left behind also paid a price. Approximately 10 percent of the congregation left the church as a result of the pastor's forced departure. One-fifth of terminated pastors had people from their previous congregation follow them to their present church.

The Gains
With God in the mix, a negative situation can lead to a number of positive results. For example, two-thirds of ousted pastors report that their faith and prayer life improved because of their trying experiences. On the home front, the majority say their ability to be a loving spouse and caring parent was enhanced. Even though a third of all pastors forced out have not yet returned to local church ministry, nearly half (48%) say their ordeal encouraged their sense of call to the pastorate.

According to the ousted pastors we surveyed, there often is a "greener pasture." For most it's not found in secular employment but in ministering to another congregation. When pastors are finally called to another church, the vast majority (85%) find the new situation to be easier. In fact, over six in ten (63%) discover the new parish to be much easier to handle than the one they had left. Still, 15 percent found that the experience of shepherding a new flock was about the same or worse than where they'd come from.

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: Ways to Avoid a Forced Exit (final in series).

—John C. LaRue, Jr., director of ChristianityToday.com in Carol Stream, Illinois, was formerly research director
for Christianity Today International.

Copyright © 1996 by Christianity Today International/YOUR CHURCH.
November/December 1996, Vol. 42, No. 6, Page 64