This kind of nonsense from church leaders is what makes people think of the church as irrelevant …

On any given day you will find social media platforms flooded with memes, blog posts, and the latest book recommendations about church “leadership.”

And while many (certainly not all) pastors and pastoral staff wallow in the “leadership addiction,” they make themselves unavailable to the flock they’re supposed to be shepherding and people in the community.

That statement doesn’t contain any hyperbole, and it’s not uncommon. Let me give you an example.

A recent counseling client had long strayed from God, and her sinful behavior was now endangering her second marriage. During our counseling sessions, God did some great things in her life. She has sincerely repented, is reconciling with her husband, and she and her family have returned to church.

Well, they’re trying to return to church.

They’re attending Sunday services, and she has become active in a small group, but they have found it very difficult to get an appointment with the pastor or a pastoral staff member. She needs to speak with a pastor about where she is at in her life, what she has been battling, and the NEED for discipleship and spiritual guidance, as well as some spiritual counseling with her and her husband regarding their marriage.

After multiple attempts, in November she finally was given an appointment to meet with a pastoral staff member … in late January.

This kind of nonsense of being so busy with programs, management, and “leadership” that you fail to meet with and minister to people returning to God and looking for a church family is just the kind of nonsense that makes the church irrelevant to some people. Only by my continued encouraging her to “hang in there” with this church — and her sincere desire for genuine Christian fellowship — that she and her husband have persisted to get a meeting with someone on staff. This couple needs a pastor to understand their situation in life and help them get the spiritual help they need in their return to God.

This is a young couple with a a young child — the demographic pastors trip over to try to get as new members — but when church leaders are difficult to even get to, it’s discouraging to people who are actually seeking God and wanting to be part of His local family.

Church leaders can and must do better!

There is no excuse for church leaders to place “being busy as a leader” above being available to minister to people.

And in case you’re wondering, this real example isn’t an exceptional case; on multiple occasions I have worked to help clients get into churches, only to find the biggest challenge was getting pastoral staff to respond in any way.

Pastor, if you don’t have time to minister to people in need, you’re not a spiritual leader. My prayer is that we’ll begin to see more pastors change their priorities to reflect what being a shepherd to God’s flock really should be like.

Scotty