The Problem of Ministry Drivenness

The Problem with Ministry Drivenness: A Plea for Faithful Stability

Carl Shank

Yesterday I watched a podcast of a large church and globally known pastor talk about his drivenness in the ministry. Indeed, he was chosen for this podcast because of his success and fame and drivenness in the ministry. I must admit that I was intimidated and rather “scared” of what he was saying. Even though he noted these traits about himself, according to him, to be successful is to be driven. “Sameness” is close to deadness. “Steadiness” is not expected in his massive staff. I would suppose that he hires driven people with “let’s conquer the next hill,” “defeat the next enemy,” and “never ever be satisfied” with what we have done today.

He would defiantly disagree with this analysis. He was supposed to talk about “boundaries” and how every successful minister should have hobbies. He has at age 56 (note the age) started two — jujitsu and flying airplanes. But even in describing his newly found hobbies, admitting he is at the “lowest rung” of them, his obvious goal and drive is to be the best. Having a white belt is never enough, and my guess even the highest black belt won’t be enough. Flying small planes will never satisfy — and these are hobbies! He claims this is the way God has wired him, but he came across quite clearly that those who are wired to be satisfied and stable in their ministry environments are missing something.

For quite some time in my own ministry career I toyed with being driven. I attended the Willow Creek Global conferences regularly and went to all the vision-casting seminars I could find. And I thought that pastoring was supposed to be so driven. I even wanted to leave the smallness of the denomination I am in and move onto the mega-church world with its glitz and glamour. That never happened, certainly not due to my lack of drive, but due to God’s sovereign providence and calling in my life.

Two key discussions in my ministry life helped me avoid the Sirens of drivenness. One was a meeting with a highly driven staff pastor at Willow Creek who steered me away from applying for such a position at Willow because every week it was all about accomplishments and next steps. If a pastor or staff member did not “produce” he or she would be asked to leave. The other discussion was from a mega-church pastor and leader with whose church I had applied to be an executive pastor overseeing fifty highly gifted pastoral leaders of his church. In my day-long interview with him, he finally advised me to be content with what the Lord had called me to do in this small denominational group and churches in the mid-Atlantic states. He noted my “success” in them and counseled me to be satisfied with how God gifted me and situated me here. He could have hired me but refused to do so. Looking back, God prevented me from crashing on the rocks of a driven ministry position.

But let me pause and clarify. Drivenness is not a sin, unless it is attached to egotistical pride or self-sufficiency. Drivenness is not the same as busyness in leadership or ministry pursuits. Drivenness does not mean neglecting spouse and family and home responsibilities. Drivenness does not mean sacrificing your physical and emotional health. This particular pastor I heard goes to the gym regularly and is well-built and in great shape.

On the other hand, “sameness” does not mean laziness or not caring for the saving of souls and intentionally discipling followers of Jesus. “Sameness” is not reducing leadership and ministry to “comfortableness.” Sameness does not mean having no goals or desires for greater influence among others. Sameness, I contend, is satisfaction with where and what and for whom God has placed me in ministry and given me to do. Sameness is steadiness in following Christ as Lord of my life and work. Sameness is contentment in serving the Lord.

There is an underlying reason why the majority of churches are smaller and seemingly insignificant in our country. Driven pastors and leaders blame average pastors for not dreaming big enough nor having a big enough vision for God. They produce podcasts and seminars on “how to grow your stuck church,” thinking that smallness must be wrong in the sight of God. I would contend, after having served over twenty years as a church health consultant for a number of denominations and church sizes, that in many cases in smaller venues, people are being cared for, the Word of God is being faithfully preached and taught, and many are growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. These churches are not “salvation factories” producing wave after wave of so-called converts, many of whom never continue with God long after the excitement and attention die down or dries up.

I grew up in a rural town where milk, butter and eggs were delivered by faithful drivers on a weekly basis. Many of them had this job for many years, never seeking a bigger milk van or larger route or establishing a growing, globally known dairy. They were plodders who faithfully did their jobs week after week. My family could depend on their deliveries, come rain or snow, or heat or drought. They met our needs. We did not have to look for another bigger or greater dairy service. I am thankful for their faithfulness.

Faithfulness to what God has called us to do, not drivenness is the key to ministry success. In this Lenten season, I am reading through Follow: 40 Days of Preparing the Soul for Easter by Daniel Ethan Harris. He says this about “followership” — “As much as the world around us, especially in the culture where I live, emphasizes the need for leadership and the development of our leadership skills, Lent is an annual reminder to us that–at least during these days each year–our focus is rightly put on our abilities and skills as followers. . .  Lent invites us to lay aside the urge to continue measuring ourselves by our competencies as leaders and focus instead, very honestly, on our competencies as followers of Jesus. Are we developing the abilities that will be required over the long haul in this daily journey of denying ourselves, taking up our crosses and following our king?” (p. 33) This is always the cure to the pitfalls and Siren sounds of drivenness.