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Despite all the demands, area pastors say they love their job

BY AMY UMBLE

Date published: 6/2/2007

BY AMY UMBLE

They often work seven days a week, answer calls in the middle of the night, deal with crises from all types of people and rarely make the big bucks.

Still, Fredericksburg-area pastors agree with a recent poll that suggests clergy have the highest job morale of any profession.

Clergy came out on top in a job satisfaction survey released in April by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of of Chicago. Eighty-seven percent called themselves "very satisfied" with their work.

The Rev. LouAnn Frederick, pastor of Bethlehem and Salem United Methodist churches in Orange County, was not surprised when she saw the study. But she thought others might be.

"It's always easy for us to talk about the difficulties and not always share the good parts of what we do," Frederick said. "It's pretty easy to skip over some of the small things that are really blessings, and the satisfactions in this job really come from the small things."

While Frederick can see why more than 80 percent of pastors would love their jobs, she can also see why another, seemingly discordant, statistic could also be true.

In an August 1989 newsletter, James Dobson of Focus on the Family wrote that 80 percent of pastors face discouragement and depression, that "more than 40 percent of pastors and 47 percent of their spouses report they are suffering from burnout, frantic schedules and unrealistic expectations."

It's entirely possible, Frederick said, to experience both job satisfaction and burnout.

"It's easy when you get really engrossed, when you get really dedicated, to allow it to take over your life," she said.

Balance is necessary but not easy to achieve, said the Rev. Mark Dempsey, executive pastor at Kings Highway Baptist Church in Stafford County. He pointed out that in the New Testament, even Jesus struggled with meeting the needs of his followers and finding time to recharge.

Dempsey said he often works days and comes back to the church for Bible studies, music rehearsals and evening services or to meet with church members.

That can make it a challenge with a wife and two young children. Like many working professionals in their 30s, he puts in long hours and worries he's neglecting his family.

He also has to be a role model when he teaches a marriage-strengthening class at the church.

Pastors face the same stresses, the same temptations and discouragement as everyone else, he said.

His father and grandfather were both pastors, and Dempsey knew he was not picking an easy way of life.

His grandfather the Rev. Willis Dempsey was pastor of Mountain View Baptist Church in King George County for 17 years before retiring. He went on to a church in Port Royal for seven years, and now works as a supply pastor.

Date published: 6/2/2007