What Pastors Like Least About Being a Pastor

The expectations of a pastor are endless. Many members expect them to be omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. But different pastors are wired differently. One pastor may get great fulfillment out of counseling, while another dreads every minute of it.

So I did an informal and unscientific survey of pastors. I asked them a simple question: "What do you like least about being a pastor?" The question was opened-ended and they could give more than one response.

I learned two things from this survey. First, pastors can have strong opinions about what they don't like. Second, pastors are really different. The responses were wide-ranged and often in opposition to each other.

So here are the top ten things pastors don't like about pastoring. I've listed them in reverse order. I then follow each dislike with a comment from a representative pastor.

10. Dealing with budgets and finance. "I have a pastor friend who has a finance major. He was in business before he went to seminary and he loves working with numbers. Not me. I get nauseas at the thought of working on the church budget."

9. Weddings. "Emotions are usually high at weddings. Some people are difficult to handle. Plus the rehearsal, ceremony, and reception take away my whole weekend. I wish we could pass a law that no weddings can take place during college football season."