Jackson Carroll's 270-plus-page volume is not a book you'll be able to finish in a weekend--unless you spend a good portion of your weekend in an armchair with your feet propped up. Fat chance. However, I found myself fascinated by the charts and stats offered by this Pulpit & Pew researcher--charts and stats that paint an intriguing picture of the changing face of church ministry. Consider how the way pastors spend their time has changed in the last 70-plus years: In 1934, pastors spent a total of 22.5 hours in sermon prep. 8.5 in 1954 and 10.3 in 2001. Worship leadership (e.g. weddings, funerals, etc.) has declined from 16.6 hours in 1934 to 4.9. Most interestingly, civic and community involvement has dropped from 4 hours in 1934 to 1.8 hours. Overall, the average work week for pastors was 75.7 hours in 1934 and 50.8 in 2001. As Carroll notes, today's clergy seem to be more balanced in establishing boundaries and managing time. However, a pastor's work week is still longer than that of other managers and professionals, who average 42 hours a week.
# posted by Matt Green : 8:06 AM
Jackson Carroll's 270-plus-page volume is not a book you'll be able to finish in a weekend--unless you spend a good portion of your weekend in an armchair with your feet propped up. Fat chance. However, I found myself fascinated by the charts and stats offered by this Pulpit & Pew researcher--charts and stats that paint an intriguing picture of the changing face of church ministry. Consider how the way pastors spend their time has changed in the last 70-plus years: In 1934, pastors spent a total of 22.5 hours in sermon prep. 8.5 in 1954 and 10.3 in 2001. Worship leadership (e.g. weddings, funerals, etc.) has declined from 16.6 hours in 1934 to 4.9. Most interestingly, civic and community involvement has dropped from 4 hours in 1934 to 1.8 hours. Overall, the average work week for pastors was 75.7 hours in 1934 and 50.8 in 2001. As Carroll notes, today's clergy seem to be more balanced in establishing boundaries and managing time. However, a pastor's work week is still longer than that of other managers and professionals, who average 42 hours a week.
