{"id":3051,"date":"2023-03-06T21:16:27","date_gmt":"2023-03-07T03:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/?p=3051"},"modified":"2023-03-06T21:16:27","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T03:16:27","slug":"clergy-who-leave-christian-ministry-are-sending-a-message","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2023\/03\/06\/clergy-who-leave-christian-ministry-are-sending-a-message\/","title":{"rendered":"Clergy Who Leave Christian Ministry Are Sending a Message"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I unfortunately know too many good pastors who have decided to leave ministry.\u00a0 Some this was their first call, others after a second call, others this was their first job after college and seminary.\u00a0 Most seminary students come out of seminary with a substantial debt load.\u00a0 I know of some that have $20,000 to $100,000 and can be more if they went to seminary directly from college.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These same good pastors, are leaving ministry with this debt load, because of the treatment of congregations that refuse to be church and surround themselves in personal preferences instead of the Gospel and be as the church was in Acts.\u00a0 You want your pastor to have integrity, that integrity is also not to compromise the gospel.<\/p>\n<style>\n       .errordiv { padding:10px; margin:10px; border: 1px solid #555555;color: #000000;background-color: #f8f8f8; width:500px; }#advanced_iframe {visibility:visible;opacity:1;vertical-align:top;}.ai-info-bottom-iframe { position: fixed; z-index: 10000; bottom:0; left: 0; margin: 0px; text-align: center; width: 100%; background-color: #ff9999; padding-left: 5px;padding-bottom: 5px; border-top: 1px solid #aaa } a.ai-bold {font-weight: bold;}#ai-layer-div-advanced_iframe p {height:100%;margin:0;padding:0}<\/style><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var ai_iframe_width_advanced_iframe = 0;var ai_iframe_height_advanced_iframe = 0;var aiOnloadScrollTop=\"true\";var aiShowDebug=false;\n\t\tif (typeof aiReadyCallbacks === 'undefined') {\n\t\t\tvar aiReadyCallbacks = [];\n\t\t} else if (!(aiReadyCallbacks instanceof Array)) {\n\t\t\tvar aiReadyCallbacks = [];\n\t\t}    function aiShowIframeId(id_iframe) { jQuery(\"#\"+id_iframe).css(\"visibility\", \"visible\");    }    function aiResizeIframeHeight(height) { aiResizeIframeHeight(height,advanced_iframe); }    function aiResizeIframeHeightId(height,width,id) {aiResizeIframeHeightById(id,height);}<\/script><iframe id=\"advanced_iframe\"  name=\"advanced_iframe\"  src=\"https:\/\/goodfaithmedia.org\/clergy-who-leave-christian-ministry-are-sending-a-message\/\"  width=\"100%\"  height=\"600\"  frameborder=\"0\"  border=\"0\"  allowtransparency=\"true\"  loading=\"lazy\"  style=\";border-width: 0px;;border: none;;width:100%;;height:600px;\" ><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var ifrm_advanced_iframe = document.getElementById(\"advanced_iframe\");var hiddenTabsDoneadvanced_iframe = false;\nfunction resizeCallbackadvanced_iframe() {}<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I unfortunately know too many good pastors who have decided to leave ministry.\u00a0 Some this was their first call, others after a second call, others this was their first job after college and seminary.\u00a0 Most seminary students come out of seminary with a substantial debt load.\u00a0 I know of some that have $20,000 to $100,000 &#8230; <span class=\"more\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2023\/03\/06\/clergy-who-leave-christian-ministry-are-sending-a-message\/\">[Read more&#8230;]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[71,239,185,101,256,21,78,255,10,70,142,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["entry","post","publish","author-dougd","post-3051","format-standard","category-attitude","category-authenticity","category-burnout","category-change","category-debt","category-faith","category-gospel","category-integrity","category-jesus","category-life","category-ministry","category-seminary"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2m6h5-Nd","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":612,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2013\/11\/02\/stewardship-seminary-campus-ministry\/","url_meta":{"origin":3051,"position":0},"title":"Stewardship &#8211; Seminary &#038; Campus Ministry","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"November 2, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Luke 19:1-11 I thought it might be helpful to have some background on me, to help you understand the perspectives I bring to the text today. I grew up un-churched.\u00a0 In fact I would say I was an atheist.\u00a0 I would get infuriated when I would see or hear things\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Campus Ministry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Campus Ministry","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/campus-ministry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1319,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2015\/05\/05\/donate-to-wartburg-theological-seminary\/","url_meta":{"origin":3051,"position":1},"title":"Donate to Wartburg Theological Seminary","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"May 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"On May 5, 2015, from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm, Wartburg Theological Seminary is once again participating in Great Give Day. During this time, every donation of $10 or more will be stretched further if you donate to our\u00a0organization through great give day. The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Seminary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Seminary","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/seminary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/fbexternal-a.akamaihd.net\/safe_image.php?d=AQDXPngicEtxDHDs&w=158&h=158&url=https%3A%2F%2Fglascripts.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fwidgets%2Fform%2Fimg%2Floading.gif&cfs=1&upscale=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3821,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2026\/05\/11\/the-gospel-triumphant\/","url_meta":{"origin":3051,"position":2},"title":"The Gospel Triumphant","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"May 11, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"May 10, 2026 Philippians 1:1\u201318 (NIV)Luke 9:46\u201348 (NIV) https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1191283779?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci Sermon Info \u2022 Speaker \/ Rev. Douglas Dill: Preacher (sermon) \u2022 Reader: Lector (Philippians reading) \u2022 Church \/ Location: Mountain View Lutheran Church, Phoenix AZ. (references to Philippi and ELCA contexts) Scripture References \u2022 Philippians 1:1\u201318 (NIV) - Paul\u2019s opening thanksgiving\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Community&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Community","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Gospel-Trimphant.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Gospel-Trimphant.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Gospel-Trimphant.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Gospel-Trimphant.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":50,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2011\/09\/28\/need-money-for-seminary\/","url_meta":{"origin":3051,"position":3},"title":"Need money for Seminary?","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"September 28, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Going to Seminary is expensive. On top of that, finding a scholarship can be really difficult. That's why I was so excited to find this Seminary Scholarship website today. Not only are they giving away a $1,000.00 scholarship and a digital theological library, all I had to do to apply\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2274,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2019\/09\/14\/humbly-serving\/","url_meta":{"origin":3051,"position":4},"title":"Humbly Serving","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"September 14, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"9-1-2019 Old Testament Sirach 10:12\u201318 or Proverbs 25:6\u20137 New Testament Hebrews 13:1\u20138, 15\u201316 Gospel Luke 14:1, 7\u201314 Revised Common Lectionary (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2009). https:\/\/youtu.be\/uBXxKUvqyU0","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Attitude&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Attitude","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/attitude\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":70,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2012\/03\/05\/need-money-for-seminary-like-me\/","url_meta":{"origin":3051,"position":5},"title":"Need Money for Seminary Like Me?","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"March 5, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Hey, for any of you that are like me and need all the money you can for Seminary, check out http:\/\/www.SeminaryScholarship.com sponsored by Logos.com \u00a0You can get up to $1,000.00 as a scholarship. \u00a0Not only that, if you buy Logos and get awarded the scholarship, they will still give you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Loss and Grief&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Loss and Grief","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/lossandgrief\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3051","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3051"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3053,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3051\/revisions\/3053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}