The Pastors’ Diaries
I was sitting at my desk when the phone rang. I was asked if I heard what happened. I responded that I had not, and then I was told that a well-known pastor had just committed suicide. I dropped my head to my hands and said, “No, not again.” It almost seems like an oxymoron to say pastor suicide. On the outside, one may wonder how those who know the Lord and His Word so abundantly could find themselves in such a barren place. But the truth is I did not have to wonder, because I know, firsthand, how discouraging and desolate the office of a pastor can be.
Over the last two decades, I’ve talked to countless pastors who were willing to share their problems in pastoring, but few were willing to share their pain. A culture of competition and the preferred façade of perfection has created a taboo concerning transparency. The truth is that you will seldom get to hear the unguarded heart of a pastor, unless you are in their inner circle, because pastors do not naturally share their dirty laundry or want to seem like complainers. They quietly absorb an abundance of pain as part of the job.
In The Pastors’ Diaries, you will witness a behind-the-pulpit look at the people who have been called to pastor and the personal challenges that could lead to tragedy if left unattended.
