A pastor wrote recently, "How do you deal with yourself when you suddenly say within, I quit, and yet must keep going as a public leader? The inner resources of enthusiasm, interest, and caring are just not there sometimes."

Every minister faces moments when the pressures of the pastorate seem overwhelming. Discouragement sets in. Is it time to leave this church? Or ministry altogether? How do I keep going? Can a vigorous ministry be restored?

LEADERSHIP set out to discover what things most discourage ministers, and how those can be overcome. The resulting book by Kevin Miller-Secrets of Staying Power (LEADERSHIP/Word, 1988)-combines the hard-won insights of pastors who have been through the "slough of despond" and found productive ministry on the other side. The following excerpt focuses on how to weather one of the five leading pastoral discouragers: no visible progress.

Imagine the elation of architect Robert Mills. On that day in 1836, the fledgling Washington National Monument Society ...