Time Bomb in the Church

In 1733, John Wesley wrote, "Men are generally lost in the hurry of life...". The problem has only compounded in the 275 years since he wrote those words. In addressing this serious problem, Dr. Spaite was the speaker for a minister's retreat that my wife and I attended in the Fall of 2008. He speaks and writes from the perspective of a medical doctor, son of a pastor, and Christian committed to the study of the Bible. Coupled with a genuine concern for ministers, and with a very good handle on the demands of ministry today, he writes with clarity and passion. Much of what we heard at the retreat is in the book. There are great truths in the book, with its greatest strength being excellent insight into the Sabbath rest commands of Scripture and explaining its original meaning as well as its necessary application today. This is not only an important book for those in ministry, but for anyone who wants to escape the frantic hurry of life.

I believe that Dr. Spaite and Ms. Salter, conceptually have a very good topic here. The number of clergy leaving the field is staggering. The author and contributor, however do place some unrealistic expectations on the shoulders of the pastor. One area, which should have received more attention is that of pastoral salaries. While their treatment of the psychological aspects of burnout and tension in the parsonage was sympathetic, only about one paragraph in 300 pages of work dealt with the very real problem of paying the bills while serving God.