Only with difficulty and much struggle do churches rise above the moral standards and teaching of the one who regularly provides spiritual nourishment. Third, much is at stake for the world. One need only observe the catastrophe of tele-evangelists gone astray to recognize how closely the world is watching those who claim to follow Jesus, especially those who serve in ministry. Our effectiveness in proclaiming the gospel to reach souls for Jesus is at stake. Perhaps no task is as easy to fake as spiritual ministry.
Preachers preach and teach with little or no study.
Bulletin articles are copied without credit, or worse, copied and set forth as one's own effort. Ministers spend too little time in prayer, too little time speaking to God, too little time listening to God, all in the name of speaking for God. Some involved in ministry covertly pursue unethical, immoral lifestyles. Compounding the crisis, our contemporary society little appreciates genuine ministry not dependent upon outward appearances nor external circumstances. The rapid transitions of contemporary society have blurred definitions of ministry.