Encouraging Young Pastors in the BMA
This past week at the annual meeting of the BMA of America, there were more meaningful moments than I could possibly recount.
Some of them were what you’d expect. Our family being presented at the missions celebration. Hearing testimonies of missionaries who guarded their witness even while burying their children. Standing with my wife as hands were laid on us at the commissioning service, praying for the work ahead. These are sacred markers in our lives, and they will remain with us for years to come.
There were also quieter moments as I reconnected with many old friends, met new brothers and sisters in Christ, and shared several delicious meals together. At one lunch, Michelle said something that captured the heart of it all: “What I love about the BMA is that it feels like a big family reunion every time I come to one of these meetings with you.”
But the moment that has stayed with me most wasn’t on the program or schedule.
“The Privilege to Pray”
At the close of the second business session, retired pastor Jeff Swart approached the microphone and made a simple request. He asked for “the privilege to pray” for young pastors. The burden on his heart was palpable. The moment was sobering.
A leader in our work named something drastically needed, as a seasoned shepherd recognized a burden many younger men have carried. I’ve heard a lot of people critique pastors’ problems or even add their commentary to the situation, but Bro. Swart came forward to intercede. That’s powerful.
A New Kind of Discouragement
Every generation of pastors has known hardship. Scripture is clear about that. Paul reminds Timothy, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12 NKJV). The work of shepherding souls has always required endurance. But some of the challenges facing younger pastors today seem unusual:
• There’s a prolonged “greenness” of young leaders. In many of our churches, the average age continues to rise. With that shift, the threshold for perceived maturity has also risen. There was a time when young men stepped into pastoral ministry in their teens and early twenties with the trust of their congregations. Today, it often feels as though a man must accumulate decades of experience before he is regarded as a seasoned enough to lead.
That extended proving ground can weigh heavily. When it takes a lifetime to earn a hearing, discouragement is never far behind.
• The absence (or even reversal) of encouragement from those who should know better. Older pastors and leaders have an opportunity to steady the next generation. Too often, the voices that should build up, though, contribute to the strain young men in ministry feel. When we lament the financial realities of ministry, bi-vocational demands, we must be careful not to allow our observations to harden into cynicism.
Scripture affirms that “the laborer is worthy of his wages” (1 Tim. 5:18). But you know, every pastor also has to learn to trust the Lord who “shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). Encouragement rooted in truth strengthens; discouragement rooted in frustration weakens.
• The erosion of respect for the pastoral office. We are ministering in a time when many outside the church (and even some within) no longer regard pastoral leadership with the same seriousness as in previous generations. The office has not changed, but its cultural perception has.
That reality adds another layer of difficulty to an already demanding calling.
The Burdens That Have Always Been There
Discouragement in ministry is nothing new.
Walking with people through the brokenness of life is costly. Bearing witness to shallow faith where deeper devotion is needed can grieve the heart. Praying for those who have wounded you requires grace that does not come naturally.
These are not modern problems. They are pastoral realities.
And they’re a part of God’s design.
Peter exhorts pastors to “shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2-3 ESV). We’re called to be examples! That kind of shepherding cannot be formed in comfort. It is forged in the crucible of real ministry when our patience is tested, love is stretched, and faith is refined.
God uses pressure to shape men who are not only willing to lead His people but competent enough to do so.
A Call to Be People of Hope
This is why that simple prayer mattered so much. It was a reminder that young pastors do not need to navigate these challenges alone. They need prayers, encouragement, and the steadying presence of those who have walked the road before them.
Men and women of the BMA, let us be a people marked by hope.
Let’s not confuse the shallow optimism that ignores reality with the deep, biblical confidence rooted in God’s promises.
The future of the church is not uncertain. Christ Himself declared, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:18). That promise is secure.
The future of our association work is strong. It is rooted in God’s unchanging purposes. So too, the future for those who labor faithfully is glorious. Peter reminds us that “when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” (1 Peter 5:4 NKJV).
Lifting Our Eyes
Let’s lift our eyes. Let’s turn away from frustrations that tempt us to complain. Let’s turn away from the cultural shifts that unsettle us. Let’s fix our eyes on what is certain.
We have a coming King. We have an unfading crown. We have a city whose builder and maker is God.
Young pastors may feel green for longer than their predecessors did. But greener pastures are not found in easier circumstances — they are found in the faithful shepherd who leads us all. And He is still leading His church.