Real estate markets fluctuate between a “sellers market” and a “buyers market.” In a sellers market, sellers may have the advantage of not staging the home, avoiding repairs, asking for more money. A few years ago, it was such a sellers market that if a buyer could not pay in cash, over asking price and with a huge amount of money up front, a buyer could not find a home. The opposite is true in a buyers market. Sellers may need to take below asking price and negotiate to make repairs or upgrades. You always hope to have the market in your favor, whether you are a buyer or seller and real estate agents will work to make their clients understand the climate of the market in order to help buy and sell.

I believe in the last few years, our congregations have missed that the market has drastically changed when it comes to hiring and keeping ministers. We are quickly approaching a pastoral crisis, not having enough pastors for congregations. Only a small portion of divinity school and seminary students are open to serving a congregation. And pastors are leaving the pulpit at rapid numbers in the last few years.

Meanwhile many churches often offer the same salaries they did ten or fifteen years ago, while still expecting more from the pastors to save their congregations and navigate a growing political divide. Because people are proud of their congregations, they feel that any minister should be seeking to work for them at any cost.

So, what does this mean for your congregation, especially if you are in the process of transition:

Be as generous with your pastor as you expect them to be with you. Many congregations are holding pastors to the ideal that if this is your calling, you should be willing to come for whatever salary we can offer. If you, your friends, your adult children could not live off of what you are offering your pastor, you should not expect them to either.

Think creatively about how to be generous. Do they have children you could offer extra care to in order to provide date nights? If someone has a vacation home, offer it for a free week to the pastor. If someone has a business fixing cars or landscaping, offer to provide services for the pastor. Be generous with the amount of vacation you offer your pastor. And do not start with the lowest salary you think someone should accept but start with the highest salary your congregation can generously offer. Give financial gifts for holidays and special occasions. Make sure that sabbatical leave is part of the package you offer.

Congregations need to move to taking care of their pastors as they expect their pastors to take care of them.

Know that you will get less resumes than you have in the past. Previously a congregation would have twenty plus resumes for a job with ten to fifteen being those you would want to interview. The reality is that you may have less than five resumes that you want to interview. Whatever number you have, move forward with them. Again, there are not pools of pastors looking to come to your church. You are a buyer in a sellers market. Quantity does not equate quality.

Be realistic about what you are asking your new pastor to do. There has been a steady decline in the birthrate, in the numbers of those going to church on an average Sunday, and the overall numbers of those involved in church at all. Your new pastor/minister cannot turn the tide of what is happening in the world. They can, however, work with you to help your congregation lean into its assets, make the most of its place in the world and be effective in the ministry it feels led to. But they cannot do it alone. The congregation must be willing to do the work.

Realize that most of our congregations are now over the age of sixty-five. This means there are more hospital visits, more visits to the home bound and what I call “home bound on Sunday” (those who go all week long but are not able to make it to church on Sunday). Your pastor is doing more funerals than pastors of previous generations as well. Be realistic about how much time you ask them to spend with current members while expecting them to “grow the church” by being involved in the community, being creative and visionary.

Especially if you are moving to part time, or have a limited salary, know that your new minister may have to work elsewhere to generate income. Change your expectations of them accordingly. Be realistic about what you are asking of their time.

Do what you can to keep the pastors and ministers you currently have. Congregations often like to engage in “greener pasture” thinking when it comes to staff, believing that all of the problems of the church are because of their current ministers. If they could just get new ones, all the problems would be fixed. While sometimes a minister is ineffective, most often the expectations and behaviors of the congregation need to change.

You may not agree with everything your pastor believes. They probably do not agree with everything you believe.

You may wish they did their work differently or gave you more attention than they currently are. Offer grace instead of judgement. There is a reason pastors are burning out at an alarming rate. A study done by Barna in 2024 revealed that one in five US pastors have contemplated self-harm or suicide in the past year. You only see from the outside. Remember that you cannot fully understand the scope of their work. Offer grace. Most of their work is not visible to everyone. The portion of their work you observe is probably only a tiny portion of what they do.

Again, be generous even in creative ways. Kind words, notes of encouragement, simple things that show support and care go a long way.

Know that for pastors today, the way they support their families and provide care for children and aging parents is changing. I have heard congregations who feel they were neglected because the pastors’ kids were in the church office during the week or the pastor had to take time off to care for family. The responsibilities for family are changing and the best support you can give to your pastor is to offer grace and help with the changing times. Also know that you hired them and not their spouse. Their spouse is not required to offer leadership for the congregation. Offer them as much grace as you do the pastor.

When we are honest about the state of the church today and the state of your individual church, there is more hope for the future. The Center for Congregation can help support your current ministers and pastor and can offer support during times of transition. Whether it is to provide coaching, staff development, a presentation about the latest social research affecting congregations or to consult with your congregation during a time of transition, we are ready to help your congregation.