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What does a resilient pastor look like? 

Dr. Mark Dance, Executive Director of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, recently led a breakout session at the SBTC Annual Convention. He was partnering with Guidestone, having previously served with them, and he shared a few insights regarding the health and resilience of pastors. In his presentation, he shared 3 characteristics of a resilient Pastor. 

3 Characteristics of a Resilient Pastor

  1. Resilient Pastors Don’t Quit.

Dr. Dance elaborated on the overuse of straw polls that suggest that pastors are leaving ministry in droves, which he asserts is simply NOT TRUE! In his presentation, he urged us to find the studies and to validate the data and see that pastors are not leaving the ministry nearly as much as the anecdotal stories suggest. A Lifeway Research Study recently shared this statement: 

“The percentage of pastors who leave for reasons other than retirement or death has remained statistically unchanged over the past decade: 1.3% in 2015, 1.5% in 2021 and 1.2% in 2025."

Yes, pastors are working hard. Yes, their ministry context is likely very different from what it was just 5 years ago. And yes, pastors are constantly being confronted with new challenges, but the data suggest that they are not leaving ministry but are having a difficult time doing it. 

  1. Resilient Pastors Don’t Coast.

During this breakout session, Dr. Dance mentioned other studies of younger pastors that identified 3 key areas where they feel they need the most help. As he spoke about this topic, he encouraged all pastors, young and old, to be cautious in coasting through their ministry. He was talking to all pastors, regardless of age, time in position, and any other metric, to not get settled into a position of ministry and just coast through it. Some of the factors that he suggested contributed to a pastor's temptation to coast were:

1) Personal Financial Stress

2) Mental Health

3) Physical Health

As he pointed out these areas, he encouraged pastors to find help, to continue to build their networks of support with other pastors, and to take action in any or all of these areas. Pastors, especially, should know that everyone needs help, and they should not hesitate to ask and to find resources that help them not just survive in ministry but to thrive in their calling. 

  1. Resilient Pastors Don’t Strut. 

Sometimes people walk into a room and act like they have it all figured out. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with being confident and ready, but it is that next level that usually causes people to be uncomfortable. Pastors work hard, and they, being human, often seek validation for their hard work. (This is not just reserved for pastors but simplified to illustrate a point. )This is not inherently a bad thing. But when we lose sight of WHO (JESUS) we are working for and instead focus on who(me) is doing the work….things can get a little out of balance.  Dr. Dance addressed this, and he likewise suggested that we intentionally extend grace to those who strut and to pray for them, and for ourselves, that we might not be guilty of the same behaviors. Biblically, he pointed to John the Baptist, who in John 1:20 clearly understood that he himself was “not the Christ.” Hard work is expected and required, but to quote Dr. Dance, 

“Churchoholics are not heroes; they are bad stewards of God’s resources.”- Dr. Mark Dance

Pastors, we know you work hard. And we appreciate everything that you do for God’s Kingdom. We believe God has called us to do this eternity-changing kingdom work together. That is one of the strengths of working together in the San Felipe Baptist Association. There is more work to be done than any of us can ever hope or imagine to do on our own, so we Collaborate in Christ to Reach the Lost, Raise the Next Generation of Church Leaders, and Revitalize the Church. 

As we look to the future and all that God has put before us, we are making plans to better serve the churches of our Association. On Wednesday, November 5, 2025 we will have our Annual Meeting and discuss our 2026 ministry budget and elect leaders for our Administrative Team. We would love for you to be there and to celebrate and plan with us as we serve and encourage pastors and churches to be resilient in the amazing ministry God has called us to do together!