We live in a day of corporate downsizings, massive layoffs, and low employee loyalty. Pastors and churches have experienced similar trends. Pastoral tenures are at a record low, and a third of all churches forced the previous pastor to leave.
Vocational experts advise workers to make survival preparations in case a layoff comes their way.
This third installment of a five-part series is based on a recent nationwide study conducted for Your Church . The first two reports covered the prevalence of forced exits and the toxic environment of some churches contributing to these statistics. This report draws on the experience of pastors to give tips on how to survive a forced exit if one comes your way. The typical pastor believes he or she could survive almost two months without a paycheck. However, ousted pastors have found it typically takes four months, or twice their estimated survival margin, to find another position in pastoral ministry.