It is imperative to have a budget and to follow it. The congregation should have a voice in any deviation, even those caused by emergencies. If financial problems can be avoided, many other problems will be avoided as well.

Watch your relationships

Most men who leave the ministry do not leave for doctrinal reasons but because of moral failure. Well-meaning pastors often develop inappropriate relationships with women within the context of ministry. Often this downfall comes about through counseling sessions. Counseling without getting emotionally involved is difficult, and runaway emotions often lead to immoral entanglements. Paul tells us about proper relationships that pastors should have with ladies in their congregations: “The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity” (I Timothy 5:2).

The pastorate can be a lonely place — and it is tempting to establish an inner circle of close friends. Eventually, people in the circle may feel threatened by others and leave the church, or those outside the circle may feel neglected and seek another church. If our relationship with Christ is what it ought to be, our relationships with others will be what they ought to be too.

Do not neglect your wife and family. I once met a pastor who boasted about having something going on at his church every night of the week. That is a sure formula for family disaster. It has been reported that the wife of an internationally known pastor was asked what it was like to be married to him. She replied, “It is like being divorced!” Though difficult, maintaining a balance between ministry and family responsibilities is possible. Conflicts will occur, and in each case you will need wisdom to decide whether to give your immediate attention to the ministry or to your family. Sometimes the answer will fall on the side of the ministry, and sometimes it will fall on the side of the family.