In a recent episode of the Redeemer Network Podcast, I had the privilege of sitting down with two men whose ministries have blessed me personally and shaped my ministry in significant ways: Dusty Thompson, Lead Pastor of Redeemer Lubbock; and JR Vassar, Lead Pastor of Church at the Cross in Grapevine, Texas.
In the episode, we talk about endurance in ministry. It was such a great conversation that I wanted to summarize some of it here. Pastors reading this, please prioritize the things below. If you are reading this and you are not a pastor, I encourage you to pray for and support your pastors. Their work is harder than you know.
The Challenges of Pastoral Ministry
Pastoral ministry is hard work. While I don’t think pastoral ministry is necessarily harder than any other type of work, it is uniquely challenging.
- It’s mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically taxing.
- It’s people-work, which means it’s unpredictable. People can wound you, leave you, or change in ways you didn’t expect.
- It’s an ever-changing work. Churches grow and dynamics shift — meaning the skill set required is constantly evolving.
- We have a real enemy, and pastors are not immune to his schemes.
- Pastors are human. They struggle, doubt, battle illness, and navigate their own personal hardships.
- Church planting specifically is a “young man’s” work. Lifeway Research found the average church planter from 2000 to 2020 was 34. While the youthful energy and passion are vital, young leaders often lack wisdom and experience, only compounding the challenges.
It’s no wonder that so many pastors don’t last.
Research tells us only 1 in 3 ministry leaders finish well.
That is a sobering stat. Only 1 in 3.
I want to finish well. I don’t want to crash or even coast — I want to run my race. And I want that for every pastor, planter, and ministry leader.
Keys to Enduring in Ministry
While ministry is challenging, it’s also beautiful. It’s a privilege to have a front row seat to the incredible things that God does in the lives of people and congregations. So how do we endure the challenges and enjoy the beauty? Here are ten keys Dusty and JR have learned over their decades in ministry.
1. A Settled Gospel Identity
You cannot do ministry to prove something.
If you try, ministry will crush you.
You have to be anchored in the truth that you are a justified, beloved child of God. Ministry must flow from being loved — never as a means of earning love. A settled identity is the only soil where long-term faithfulness grows.
2. Emotional and Cultural Intelligence
Pastors need wisdom not just in doctrine but in people.
They must learn to read emotions, navigate conflict, discern cultural undercurrents, and shepherd people with empathy. Ministry requires a growing emotional maturity.
3. Competent Leadership and Management
Over time, the complexity of leadership increases.
Churches grow. Staff teams form. Structures expand. Pastors must grow too—learning how to lead teams, make decisions, manage resources, and steward vision wisely.
4. A Growing Love for Jesus and the Things He Loves
This is foundational.
When Jesus restored Peter in John 21, he tied ministry directly to love:
“Do you love me? Feed my sheep.”
Pastors endure not by loving ministry, but by loving Jesus — and that love is nourished through Scripture, prayer, repentance, and communion with God.
5. A Healthy Distrust of Yourself
Not self-loathing — self-awareness.
Pastors must know their own sinful tendencies. Pride, irritability, comparison, sloth, escapism — whatever the struggle, it has to be named and fought. Finishing well requires vigilance and humility.
6. Plurality and Unity in Leadership
Pastoring is lonely at times. But it shouldn’t be isolated.
A unified team of elders provides wisdom, shared responsibility, protection, and companionship. Unity in leadership is a gift from God that sustains and stabilizes a church.
7. A Healthy Home Life
Ministry is not an escape hatch.
How we love our spouses and children forms us as pastors. Faithfulness at home is part of faithfulness in ministry. A strong marriage and healthy rhythms of family life are essential for endurance.
8. Real Friendships
Pastors need friends — especially friends who aren’t in their church.
Relationships where you can rejoice, lament, confess, and be sharpened are vital. Some of the greatest gifts God has given me personally are the pastors who walk with me, challenge me, and know me deeply.
9. Practicing Patience
Ministry takes time. Growth takes time. Healing takes time.
Endurance requires a long view of God’s work.
10. Finding Support
Don’t make the mistake of going at ministry alone. Pastors need a few different layers of support: relational, educational, and professional. As already stated, pastors need the encouragement of friends. They also need guides and mentors. Guides keep you sharp and keep you learning. Mentors help you navigate the professional challenges of ministry. This is why being a part of a network is such a gift. In the Redeemer Network, we are supporting pastors in all of these ways.
A Final Word
After talking with Dusty and JR, I was reminded again that endurance in ministry isn’t about talent, youth, charisma, or strategy. It’s about dependence upon grace. It’s about loving Jesus, loving his people, and walking in step with the Spirit over many years.
If you are a pastor or leader reading this, my prayer is simple:
May God strengthen you to finish well.
Not by coasting. Not by grinding. But by walking with Jesus, surrounded by his people, sustained by his promises.
If you are looking for support in ministry, contact me here and I’d love to help.
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