Another School Year

In another 2 weeks I will be returning back to school, I am 42 and have did a career transition from being a pastor that was bi-vocational to an elementary school teacher. This will be my first full year as a teacher in a public school. I have taught for 3 1/2 years in Christian schools
I have had a lot of strange looks when people find I am no longer pastoring. Some you can see think was it a moral failure? NO! I still hold my credential in good standing. Some you can see say well he was never cut out for it. MAYBE? There were many reasons why I left pastoring.

1. I fell my calling is to minister to children; however, after being on staff at 2 churches in 4 years with 2 different senior pastors resigning made me a little gun shy.

2. I am involved in as much ministry now as when I was pastoring and working full time. I lead children's worship each Sunday I am home at my local church. I take an active role in Wednesday night.

3. Have you ever seen the hurt in your child's eyes as some one handed the senior pastors daughter an easter basket in front of her and didn't give her anything (they were a few months a part in age). This was a few years ago she was 3 when it happened. She disappeared from the church immediately after church that Sunday morning. Normally we had to drag her home as we lived next door to the church.

4. How many run down parsonages can you live in? Mice, Mold, Roaches, Snakes (in the church) and the pastor can fix it all!

5. You and your spouse doing everything for the church (these are a combination of the 13 years of pastoring)

visitation -- check
preaching -- check
hospital calls -- check
preparing and leading worship -- check
special music -- check
mowing lawn -- check
piano player -- check
secretary work -- check
mad board members -- check
keeping the books -- check


I am over bitterness, but I don't miss pastoring. Someday I hope to be back on staff as a children's pastor. I have the right credential now a BA in religion and 2 classes short of my M.ED in Curriculum and Instruction and lot of lessons learned in the school of hard knocks.