Jump directly to the Content

McKinley's Laws Of Ministry

The first synod convention I attended after ordination was held in the ballroom of a magnificent hotel. At one point in the gathering, the presiding officer recognized pastors celebrating their twenty-fifth, thirtieth, fortieth, and fiftieth anniversaries of ordination.

As they doddered to the front, I marveled: I had been alive for twenty-five years; these guys (and they were all guys) had lasted for twenty-five years as pastors. Some of them twice that!

I have reason for remembering that moment. If my synod chooses to do that same thing this year, I will be one of those doddering pastors. I've been a parish pastor for twenty-five years. Scary thought.

As a wizened sage, let me offer nine lessons parish ministry has taught me that I never learned in seminary. Call them McKinley's Laws.

Law 1:
The person who sticks his or her head into your office and says, "Do you have a minute?" really wants at least an hour.

Law 2: Congregation council meetings will take longer and accomplish ...

March
Support Our Work

Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

Related
Mass Exodus
Mass Exodus
From the Magazine
Should the Bible Sound Like the Language in the Streets?
Should the Bible Sound Like the Language in the Streets?
Controversy over Bibles in Jamaica, the Philippines, and Germany reveal the divide between the sacred and the relatable.
Editor's Pick
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
Understanding God and our world needs more than bare reason and experience.
close