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We live in a day of corporate downsizings, massive layoffs, and low employee loyalty. Pastors and churches have experienced similar trends. Pastoral tenures are at a record low, and a third of all churches forced the previous pastor to leave. (A forced exit refers to both terminations and intense pressure to resign.) Vocational experts advise workers to make survival preparations in case a layoff comes their way. Pastors can heed the same advice; it's certain some of them will be asked to take an early departure.

This third installment of a five-part series is based on a recent nationwide study conducted for Your Church. The first two reports covered the prevalence of forced exits and the toxic environment of some churches contributing to these statistics. This report draws on the experience of pastors to give tips on how to survive a forced exit if one comes your way.

The typical pastor believes he or she could survive almost two months without a paycheck. However, ousted pastors have found it typically takes four months, or twice their estimated survival margin, to find another position in pastoral ministry. For a fourth of forced-out pastors it took a year or longer to find another position.

Just four in ten received a severance package upon leaving—typically equal to about three months' salary. These findings indicate that nearly all ousted pastors suffer a minimum of one month without pay. The vast majority would need to save four or more months' salary to make it between churches.

Time it takes to find another pastoral position:

• 45% - 3 months or less
• 18% - 4-6 months
• 8% - 7-9 months
• 8% - 10-12 months
• 5% - 13-15 months
• 16% - Over 15 months

Pastors need someone to turn to for support during times of conflict and any resulting resignation or termination. Not surprisingly, the best source of support for nine out of ten married pastors comes from the pastor's spouse.

Support can also be found from other sources. Two-thirds of forced-out pastors found friends within the congregation to be "very" supportive. An additional 22 percent said friends were "somewhat" supportive. Still another source of support for a majority of ousted pastors is fellow pastors outside the church. Thirty-five percent found other pastors to be "very" supportive and another 36 "percent" to be somewhat supportive.

Just over half (54%) received help in finding another pastoral position from denominational offices.

One in five terminated pastors sought out a professional Christian counselor. The duration of counseling sessions averaged six months. Six percent of spouses went to a Christian counselor as a result of their spouse being forced out of a pastorate.

Respondents are divided over the helpfulness of their denominational supervisor. Equal numbers found this individual to be "very" supportive (23%) and "not at all" supportive (23%). As for the church board, only one in six found its members to be supportive at all. Instead, two-thirds of ousted pastors found the church board to be a major source of contention.

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.

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

Copyright © 1996 by the author or Christianity Today International/Your Church magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Your Church.

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