Back in July of last year I had posed a question to the readers of this blog looking for their thoughts and opinions on how long a pastor should serve at any one church. One of the most thoughtful responses I got was from Fr. Stephen Freeman, who said:

I would generally suggest what is often the norm in Orthodoxy, which is that a priest remains at a Church for the entirety of his ministry. There are, of course, many exceptions to this. Interestingly in the history of Protestantism in America this was once thought the norm as well (colonial period, for example). A pastor who had served at as many as three churches was frequently considered either a failure or troubled.

The changing of pastors is often driven by careerism, disguised by all kinds of reasons. Most pastors go to other churches for more money, and so on, unless there is something wrong in which case they tend to move down.

In the case of a priest of the Orthodox Church, I don't know why I would ever want to leave my flock anymore than I would want a family other than the one I have. I hear their confessions, baptize, marry, bury, teach, preach, grieve, rejoice, beg their forgiveness. There is an old saying from the Desert Fathers that says, 'Stay in your cell and your cell will teach you everything.'

Like a marriage, a pastor, I suspect, would look very differently at his church if he thought his entire life would be spent there. No running away, no moving up. Just here with these souls and any others who may come. My goal in life is to be buried from my present parish at an extreme ripe old age hopefully having been faithful and fruitful in my ministry in this place. Of course, all of these things are in the hands of God.

There is a lot of wisdom in this, I think. And I do not want to focus on the length one should stay in a pastoral position, but instead try to look at the role of a pastor. By addressing the latter, I think we can come to an answer for the former. One of the things I appreciate in Fr. Stephen's thoughts here is to understand ministry as something more than just a job or a career--to see it as a calling. In other posts on his blog he has drawn out the importance of understanding the role of a pastor as a shepherd and spiritual father, two tasks which are incredibly demanding and have serious repercussions if neglected and not fully embraced. In Protestant circles that understanding has too frequently been lost. What would happen if our fathers treated their role in the family as an 8-5 job, with all the responsibilities of that role ceasing outside of those hours?

Pray for your pastors, and consider yourselves blessed to be shepherded by them. The scope and magnitude of their calling is immense. If your pastor has lost sight of that, offer a word of encouragement. Recognize further that the task of a pastor can be a lonely one, and the flock which he oversees does not just pay his salary, but is responsible for building him up, supporting him, strengthening him, and loving him. It is a mutual relationship. One is not active, and the other passive. Also, realize that both of you are sinners, and ultimately look to the Good Shepherd as the root, source, and strength of all that you are and all that you are to be. He, after all, is the one who laid down His life for His sheep.