As a Canadian pastor, I cherish three things: the body of Christ, its shepherds, and hockey! Hockey illustrations often come to mind when I am writing a sermon or in this case, while organizing my thoughts on the types of pastors I’ve encountered through The Shepherd’s Refuge.
The five categories are Prospects, Players, Injured Players, Suspended Players, and Retired Players. Each category has specific conditions and needs that require proactive, preventative, and personal care.
This article explores these five types, identifies their specific needs, and suggests ways to improve our care for these pastors
1. Prospects
Connor Bedard was a notable prospect in junior hockey. After scouting him extensively and drafting him first overall, the Chicago Blackhawks trusted him to apply his skills at the NHL level. However, making it to the NHL was not the end of his journey but the beginning. The Blackhawks worked to surround him with veteran players who could offer guidance based on their experience.
Like Bedard, pastoral prospects need intentional development. Prospects in the church are younger men who possess the raw materials and gifts that make for a good pastor. They may be heading in a pastoral direction, consciously or not. If they are unaware, it falls to the church elders and pastors to identify and develop their potential. I was once an unaware prospect, but others helped draw out my gifts.
Prospects need a glorious yet grounded vision of pastoral ministry. As I’ve noted before, when prospects become players, they are often unprepared for the trials of ministry. They need some formal education, but more importantly, they need mentoring, on-the-ground training, and ministry opportunities to discern their gifts and pursue them.
Pastoral residency programs like the one at Hespeller Baptist Church in Cambridge must become more common - the norm rather than the exception. Providing theological education along with coaching that enhances personal and spiritual formation lays the foundation for sustainable long-term ministry success.
2. Players
Sidney Crosby is a player with phenomenal talent but by all accounts, he is also the hardest-working player in the game. He balances rest and nutrition with strenuous activity and skill-sharpening exercises.
Players are pastors currently active in ministry, with a spectrum of talent and gifting. They are part of an active roster, holding their own in various church sizes. They preach, they teach, they mentor and give counsel - they are disciple-makers who prepare the saints for the work of ministry.
I’ve been in the player category for the last 15 years, competing in full-body-contact games, coming away with a few bruises and losses but more than enough wins to compensate. How did I get through? It was with the help and care of mentors and friends and the pursuit of spiritual disciplines that kept me connected to God and his Word.
From 2012 until his passing in 2020, I was mentored, cared for, and challenged by Arthur Cairncross. His ministry to me was a large part of why I persevered in ministry through some very dark times. Active pastors need consistent care from mentors, peers, and spiritual disciplines to sustain their ministry and avoid burnout.
3. Injured Players
Mark Savard was an elite hockey player whose NHL career was cut short by concussion issues. When he was first concussed it was unknown whether or not he would return. He ended up being unable to continue his career and had to retire due to his injuries.
Sidney Crosby also struggled through post-concussion symptoms and it looked like this might curtail his brilliant career. Throughout three seasons, he only played 99 of a possible 246 games. Somehow, he found the right treatments and exercises to heal his brain and return to top form. He's still playing today and delivering 90+ point seasons in what we would expect to be the twilight of his career.
Pastors can also face injuries, with disorienting, concussion-level events requiring periods of rest and recovery. Some in this category have sustained injuries that will prevent them from ever returning to active pastoral duty. For others, the long-term prognosis is unknown. And some know that they are badly injured and will require care and support before they return.
Many of these out-of-commission pastors would like to be back in pastoral ministry again. Sadly, they often struggle to find their way back due to a lack of care and support. After experiencing burnout in 2015, I took time off to recover. I saw my doctor, attended weekly counselling sessions, practiced prayer and other spiritual disciplines, focused on fitness, and received support from friends and family. As a result, I regained my resilience and was able to return to active duty
4. Suspended Players
This is a tricky one to… stickhandle. In the world of hockey, players are sometimes suspended for one or more games but in one case, there was a permanent suspension. The length of the suspension is determined by both the intention of the player and his previous history.
Esteemed Red Wings defenseman Niklas Lidstrom was known as a clean player, but in 2009 he was issued a suspension for declining to appear in the All-Star Game. That’s a fairly light offence. But then you have Bruins defenseman Billy Coutu who in 1927 was suspended permanently for abusing the game’s referees. He never played another NHL game and was “bitter and without remorse” about it.
In the church, can a pastor be under the discipline of the elders for non-disqualifying sin? I think that’s possible, but for this category, I’ll address only those pastors who have been permanently suspended due to disqualifying sin.
This is one category of pastor we don't talk much about. When a pastor is caught up and discovered in disqualifying sin, often the scenario looks like this: denominational supports dry up, connections are severed, and he is left very alone at a time when he most needs friends.
Unfortunately, I’ve seen several disqualifications over the years. In one case, there was genuine remorse and accompanying repentance. In another case, the repentance was merely performative at best.
An unrepentant disqualified pastor is almost impossible to deal with, but when a disqualified pastor is truly repentant, we should provide personal care for the sake of his life and soul, but also for the sake of the souls of those most affected by his sin. This would go a long way to minimizing the wreckage that results from such situations.
Perhaps we should develop a module for “disqualification aftercare”. While accountability is crucial, so is a pathway of forgiveness and grace for the repentant disqualified pastor.
5. Retired Players
Mark Messier was a leader and player of legendary status. He won six Stanley Cups during his 25 seasons and almost 2000 games. But he didn’t disappear after he retired. He played in alumni games and made many off-ice contributions for the betterment of the NHL and its players.
The term “retired pastor” is something of an oxymoron but I use it here to refer to men who are no longer in full-time ministry due to the common challenges that come with age. Full-time pastoring is mentally and physically taxing and there comes a time when the required energy is no longer available.
Spurgeon’s view on retirement was this: “I shall ‘retire’ when four men carry me on their shoulders to the grave, but not till then, by God's Grace! As long as there is breath in our body and we are able to say a word for Christ, we certainly shall not give up our service!… There may be change of service, but no retiring from service!”
Retirement as a pastor looks different than it does in other vocations. Many retired pastors continue to shepherd God’s people either as volunteers or on a part-time paid basis. Retired pastors have an important role to play in the lives of younger pastors and we should utilize them more effectively.
Conclusion
My vision for the future of pastoral ministry in Canada is this:
To see younger men identified and then called into and trained for ministry.
To help current pastors maintain their health and lead healthy churches.
To offer injured pastors the help and resources they need to recover from their injuries and resume their walk on a path of ministry.
To care for disqualified pastors for the sake of their own souls and to mitigate the damages incurred by their sin.
To encourage and empower retired pastors to access their reservoirs of wisdom and experience and offer these treasures to the other four types of pastors listed above.
Achieving this vision requires a multi-pronged strategy and a cooperative effort among churches, educational institutions, ministries, current pastors, and church members. We have everything we need to pull it off. Most importantly, we have Jesus as the sovereign head of the Church and His Spirit to empower our efforts.
My contribution to these efforts is this ministry called The Shepherd’s Refuge. If you are a pastor, pastor-to-be, or ex-pastor who desires to pastor again, please contact me. I am happy to walk with you on the journey, offering wisdom and insight based on my experience.
Follow this link to my contact page.
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Michael Krahn is a pastor, the husband of Anne Marie, and the father of Madeleine, Olivia, and Sophia. Make a connection on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Great use of an understandable metaphor for this, Michael.