Dear Pastor

There is a new awakening that has happened to me in the last 3 months. An awakening that has been both freeing and extremely sad all at the same time.

I am addressing my blog post to the many pastors that will speak from the pulpit on Sunday mornings.

Dear Pastor,

My name is Kristin. I am a Pastor's daughter turned Missionaries daughter turned Pastor's wife. I am the wife of any one of your staff pastors at your church right now. I am the wife that would be at every function standing beside her husband as much as possible. I am the organizer of the events that would have my husband's name on them. I am the heart and soul of my home in which enables my husband to conquer the job with greatness.

I am also a woman that is fed up. I'm fed up with so much that the "church" has to offer these days. My soul is burdened by the pastors who are leading them. It seems that so many of you have lost your way. You've forgotten why you were called into the ministry in the first place. You've forgotten about the moment when you felt your body taking the plunge into the unknown of church ministry. Or maybe you've been in this your whole like, much like myself, and it's pretty much all you've ever known. Either way, you've lost so much along the way. By the hurt, pain, tiredness, or just plain anger towards people in general. Whatever it might be, please let me share with you something that you may have forgotten.

I would ask you to look at your families that are on your staff right now. Think about them. Think about their children. Think about their wives. Their about their parents. Think about them. Consider them. Care for them. Love on them. But, most of all, be honest with them. They deserve that.

Now, stop and think about the people who teach the Sunday School classes. Think about the volunteers that are up at the church early to go over the music for Sunday morning. Think about the many, many, many different areas of the church that are filled with passionate people that just want to serve God. Then ask yourself this question. Would you still do what you are doing if you didn't get paid anything? Would you still give, if you didn't gain a pay check? That is exactly what the people of your church do every single week. They work jobs where they don't get home until after 5:30 most nights. They spend a little time with their wife and kids and then do it all again the next morning. They get up on Saturday morning and spend the day with their family or if there is a special event at the church, they'll give of their weekend to be at church knowing that Monday morning will come and they will get up and go to work. They won't gain an extra day of time off in their week because they had to be at church on a Saturday or a Sunday. They don't get a paycheck for their time. And yet, when they come to you with a need you will smirk and tell them, "Well, if that's a need of your then why don't you start that?" or you will give the good preacher statement of, "We'll be praying about that with you." Only you go home and don't think a second thing about it. You have LOST passion for people.

Please do not think that I am putting all pastors of all churches into one big pile. I'm not. There are thousands of pastors that have vision for the ministry that God birthed in their soul. They care beyond care for those in their church and community. I will admit, however, that we have only worked for one such pastor in the 8+ years of being in full time church ministry. To that pastor I say thank you for showing us that pastors like you do exists. They aren't all cheats and liers that constantly go before congregations Sunday after Sunday and "pretend". For you who are the pretenders, I pray for you. I don't just say that, like yourself, but I do pray for you. Every Sunday morning as my husband and I struggle to fit into a church again because of the deep scars that have been placed in our souls by you, the pastors, I pray for you. It's the only way I know how to change my own heart.

If that is you who have lost your passion or vision, it's okay for you to do something else. Please. I have 3 children who are young and I would like them to grow up in a church where their pastor sees them and has a passion for them.