A California pastor is getting candid about why he almost quit ministry, shedding light on struggles preachers routinely face.
Shane Idleman of Westside Christian Fellowship in Leona Valley, California, is out with a new book, “I Almost Quit: My Journey of Leading Through the Landmines of Ministry,” a text detailing the factors that almost drove him away from the pulpit.
Idleman said he had gone through a “hard season” in recent years that presented difficult challenges — a time of chaos that started with COVID-19 chaos and lockdowns, his mom’s death, health issues, and extended into other realms.
After nearly leaving it all behind, the preacher could have concealed what he faced and felt, but, instead, he decided to openly share it all.
“I didn’t want to write it, of course,” Idleman admitted of the book. “Number one, it’s a little embarrassing. Of course, I’ve got the armchair critics. … ‘It’s God’s call. You should never want to quit.’ But, then, on the other hand, we know all the pastors I’m hearing from feel the same way.”
Recent survey data show that around 1 in 100 preachers leave the pulpit each year, a relatively low number, according to Lifeway Research. But the pressures of the role are evident.
“Two in 3 (67%) [preachers] feel they must be ‘on-call’ 24 hours a day,” the research firm reported. “Another 57% say their role is frequently overwhelming, up slightly from 54% in 2015 but down from 63% in 2021.”
Lifeway continued, “Around half (47%) of pastors often feel the demands of ministry are greater than they can handle.”
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Idleman was feeling some of these very pressures.
“Everything was just hitting, and hitting, and hitting,” he said. “And I went through a very difficult season.”
What’s most interesting is that Idleman’s decision to share his struggles with his congregation actually encouraged spiritual fervor and sparked revival.
“When I finally [spoke] to our congregation, the floodgates broke,” Idleman said. “The following Sunday, we couldn’t even have a service. We just went into worship, the altar’s full — it really sparked revival in our hearts and in our church.”
The preacher believes the decision to be “transparent and repentant” helped others in their own faith walk.
“I had to repent of it,” he said. “I was disgruntled, I was discouraged, I didn’t really want to go to church.”
But Idleman was encouraged by the response and decided to write the book. Already, he’s hearing from other preachers who are feeling strongly encouraged by his honesty — a testament of struggles to which many of them can deeply relate.
“I just want to be faithful,” he said. “And we get our hearts right, we’re happy, we’re filled with joy. It makes all the difference.”
Ultimately, Idleman said God worked on his heart in key ways that prevented him from actually taking the plunge and quitting. At first, he wondered if he needed a sabbatical, but his wife pushed back.
“I thank God for our spouses, right? She’s like, ‘No, I don’t think you need another sabbatical. … You need a man up and just do what God’s called you to do,'” he said.
Idleman leaned into worship and repentance, telling God about his discouragement and apologizing. He also asked the Lord to bring back joy in his life – and he committed to showing up to church and fulfilling his obligations despite his feelings.
“He’s a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him,” Idleman said of God. “And that’s a process of just pressing in.”
As for his health, the preacher regained self-discipline and was able to get his body back in order.
“When you discipline your body, it has spiritual benefits because the physical effects is spiritual,” Idleman said. “It’s quite amazing. And so all of those things combined together really just released that floodgate that opened up.”
Find out more in “I Almost Quit: My Journey of Leading Through the Landmines of Ministry.”
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