How to Finish Well in Pastoral Ministry

I recently celebrated pastoring Heartland Baptist Church in Ames, IA, for 20 years. As part of the celebration, my church honored me with a one-month sabbatical. I did my best to be intentional in planning what I should include during this sabbatical. It included time with family, a great trip with my wife, and visiting many friends. I also made it a priority to spend time with some pastors who would be in a place of offering counsel on how to finish ministry well. 

Some of these men are still pastoring but are in their last decade. Some are pastor emeritus at the church they served for many years. Some have moved on to other ministries. Some spend time with lots of pastors as they travel and help fill pulpits. Each of these men has a good perspective. 

I asked each man to share some advice on how to finish well, cautions to be aware of, and any other general counsel. I returned last week from my sabbatical and took some time to reflect on the entire experience and the lessons learned from the pastors. Here are my top five takeaways.

1. Be careful of allowing yourself to grow emotionally calloused.  The years of ministering to people that you pour yourself into and then they disappoint you can wear on you.  Determine to show grace and be encouraging regardless.
2. Be careful of thinking you are more than a steward for the church you pastor. The longer you pastor in one place, the easier it is to think that way.  Be thankful for long tenures, but always remember that we are just stewards of the Lord Jesus.
3. Be careful of pride. The more successful others think you are, the more you should be careful of it.  Instead, be thankful to God and those around us.  And use whatever influence or “clout” we have to do the Lord’s work.
4. Be careful of assuming you’ve reached a point where you don’t need to continue to learn.  Whether it is reaching society, keeping ministry effective, or adjusting sermons to the next generation, it is lazy to think we are done thinking about being effective.
5. Be careful in your planning for the next thing in life.  Whether making adjustments for the next season of life, the next season of ministry, slowing down but still being involved, or even who will pastor next, don’t forget to plan with prayer.

I hope to keep these principles in front of me and learn from them. For the record, I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon, but I want to ensure I do everything possible to finish well.