I have been on hiatus for a few weeks writing my 4th book, The Lost Son. It is now finished and is being edited. It is about another war that is being fought on a daily basis but no one talks about. It is a battle that many Christians are losing because they are using the wrong weapons to save the souls, and lives, of others.
One of the main characters is an ex-pastor who almost ended his own life after someone he knew committed suicide. He felt as if he failed because he was not even given a chance to save the other person. The truth is, the story reflects what is going on in the ministry.
‘This Is Not What I Signed Up For.’ Unsettling Exodus of Pastors Leaving the Ministry on Churchleaders.com
The active Twitter thread contains a handful of pastors currently in ministry and some who have left the ministry. One pastor told White, “As a minister struggling with whether to stay in parish ministry, I’m so hurt by all the replies that blame clergy for quitting. I’ve given my life to the Church, asked my family to sacrifice & ended up with my a** kicked. American church is broken.”
The American church isn’t broken, but it is breaking and has left more and more people believing there is no hope for them. In 2019, according to the National Institute of Mental Health there were over 47,000 suicides. What is the weaponry they need to have to fight for their lives? Hope. That is the only thing that gets people to get up in the morning. That one, last glimmer of hope that the new day can end a lot better than the one before did.
Too many members of the clergy have decided to stop serving God while pretending to be preaching what Jesus said, and began to serve themselves. Those who God brought to them, were lied to, manipulated and heard lies.
2 Timothy 4:3-4
3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
We see that more and more, while other members of the clergy do what they were called to do with honor, truth and respect for the true Word Of God. I have known many in my life. If you know one of them, appreciate them and support them so they know you do value them. They have very hard jobs to do, so please keep them in your prayers as well.
Unfortunately, I have know far too many false teachers and they are the reason so many have said they believe in God and Jesus, but no longer attend church. Churches turned them away, so when they were struggling spiritually, they had no place to turn.
But God does hear them and sees them and He tries to get others to answer their prayers. That is what The Lost Son was written for.
Stay tuned for updates!
