JMS, I think you are right about where the doubts come from… little comments often feed a fear that they are only the tip of the iceberg and a mountain of dissatisfaction lurks beneath the surface. It has also been my experience that faithful ministry in times of crises does wonders for relationships and for understanding that you work hard after hours and outside the office.

Rick, Isn’t it amazing how our experiences shape our current perceptions. I had an experience with a previous church where they made me make up time spent attending and speaking at my nephew’s funeral because such leave was not covered in the personnel policies. I still resent it. When I started there (as a Youth Minister) I had to work Mon-Fri in the office (even though the pastor had Friday off) Sunday was a work day and Saturday was often the day for me to use to reach Youth.

They had me working a literal 7 days a week. Extra time away from the office was just part of my job. They didn’t realize it, but they created a huge incentive for me to do my job poorly. Since my office requirements were so high and no grace was given for working during my “family” time, it made no sense for me to plan activities that would take me away from my family. Thus, I was encouraged by their system to “work” in the office away from teenagers and not bother “working” when teenagers were free for me to be around.

I worked hard to change these perceptions and soon got a day off during the week, but the office hour thing never changed and I never got “comp” time for time away from my family. The expectations were ridiculous and I finally had to push back quite severely when the chairman of the deacons publicly challenged me by saying that I wouldn’t give my “free time” but I was asking my Youth Workers to do so. My response? “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

Bob, Honestly, the difference between me and the person with a “view from the pew” is an apples and oranges kind of difference. I think that the ability to share Christ should spread organically through the relationships built within the infrastructure of society. That’s a fancy way of saying that people should build and reach people they naturally come into contact with through their life and that happens mainly through their job.

My job, however, is one in which I am surrounded by people who are already committed to Christ – or should be. In order to share the Gospel, I have to get away from the Ivory Tower.

When people come by and I’m out in the community, I tell my Secretary to just tell them, “He’s out sharing the Gospel.” It’s an “old” way of saying what I’m actually doing in a different way than we used to do it.

Anyone notice this comment is longer than the actual post? :)

And since most jobs feature a limited number of people with whom the worker associates, much (if not most) of the relationship-building would be, I suppose, done on “personal time”.

One of the staff members with whom I differed the most as respects his work at the church, never could tell me what he really did, in his job, beyond the things he did for his Sunday School class .. the same things I did for mine.

But, I have never really wondered what pastors did; I’ve always figured there were lots of ministry things to do outside the 4 walls, so I can’t identify with guys who think the preacherman ought to be there all the time.

Just a view from the pew.

Bob Clevelands last blog post..Gooodbye, Brother. I’ll See You Later

I’m a bit conflicted with your stated expectation of missionaries as well. Most of my missionary career was spent in missions support. In West Africa, we operated the regional guesthouse. In East Asia, I was the business manager. Almost ALL of my “job” was in the office. Perhaps some of my current struggle comes from that past experience, where I was expected to be in the office at least 8 hours per day!

To answer your questions: I spend at least 6 hours per day in the office. (I’m allowed to take Friday’s off, but it usually doesn’t work out that way) I have the freedom to do what I want, when I want. If I need to make visits, of course, it is no problem, for that is an expectation. I have made my cell phone number “public” to my members and tell them that is always the best way to get in touch with me. I’ve told them that if I’m busy, to just leave a voice-message and I’ll get back to them, ASAP.

Rick Boynes last blog post..Arctic Express Rolls into NE Oklahoma

We did, in our church, go through an episode where an assistant pastor was so hard to find that our personnel committee started a sign-in/sign-out process so that they could record when we were in the office. When I protested that being in the office does not equate to working, the chairman, a government bureaucrat, replied that in her experience when one works it is in the office, period. That changed when members of her family had hospitalizations and I was there for them!