Half of pastors would leave the ministry tomorrow if they could. Seventy percent are fighting depression and 90 percent can't cope with the challenge of ministry.

Those are the statistics Pastor Jonathan Falwell laid out to thousands of ministers who were in Lynchburg, Va., Tuesday for the "Refuel" conference.

The well-known pastor stated bluntly, "Something is wrong in ministry."

Citing surveys from such groups as Barna, LifeWay and Acts 29, Falwell lamented that 1,500 pastors walk away from ministry every month because of moral failure, burnout, conflict, discouragement or depression. He was also shocked to find that 80 percent of seminary and Bible school graduates will leave the ministry within their first five years.

Part of the problem, he indicated, is trying to make it to the big numbers and most influential lists or aiming for the most Twitter followers.

"I believe that we have self-imposed measurements of success that are skewed, that are wrong," said Falwell, pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church – which is notably one of the largest churches in the country.

"The measurements of success are all messed up," he said.

While there is nothing wrong with the "Top 25" or "Top 100" largest churches or most influential lists, trying to make it to those lists has forced many pastors to focus on the masses rather than "the one."

"Stop focusing on the 'big ministry' and the 'big outreach," he urged, noting that ministers place too much pressure on themselves. "Start focusing on one person, one hurting person, who's lost, ... who's desperate to hear the Gospel."

Falwell has been leading Thomas Road Baptist Church since 2007, after his father, Jerry Falwell, passed. He admits that his congregation is large and he can easily hand over duties of ministering to individuals, such as those in the hospital, to other pastors in the church.

But he reminded pastors on Tuesday, "We have a responsibility to minister to the one."

And when pastors are faithful in focusing on one person at a time, Falwell believes God will then fill their churches with lots of "ones."

So he encouraged them, "Don't make it about the lists, the fame, ... the respect. Make it about the one."

BIBLE FACTS ABOUT JERUSALEM
Psalm 122:1-9

Its PROMINENCE in the Bible

Mentioned 811 times - not once in the Qur'an;
The word "Zion" refers to Jerusalem 152 times;
Called the "holy city" 10 times and the "city of God" twice;
called the "city of truth" and "the city of the great King" and "the city of Judah" and also the "city of David."
Its PRIORITY above all cities - Psalm 48:2 - "the joy of the whole earth, the city of the great King." Psalm 137:5 refers to it as "my chief joy." Psalm 87:2 says "The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob."

Its PRAISE in the earth - Isaiah 62:7 - "give Him no rest, till He establish,and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth."

Its PLACE in Jewish history

The place where Abraham was blessed by a king and priest named Melchizedec over 4000 years ago - Genesis 14:18-19
The place where Adonizedek was king when Joshua entered the land - Joshua 10:1
The place which was given to the tribe of Judah by Joshua - Joshua 15:1,8
The place which Judah and Benjamin could not conquer from the Jebusites - Joshua 15:63; Judges 1:21
The place which King David took from the Jebusites 3000 years ago - II Samuel 5:4-9
The place where King David purchased the site of the Temple Mount from Aravnah the Jebusite and built an altar there - II Samuel 24:18-25
The place where King David ruled for 33 years
The place where King Solomon built the temple - II Chronicles. 3:1
The place where King Solomon ruled for 40 years - I Kings 11:42
The place where the kings of Judah ruled for over 400 years and the place where they were buried.
The place where Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city and its temple in 586 BC - II Kings 24:10, 14; 25:9-10
The place to which Jewish captives returned through the kindness of Cyrus, King of Persia
The place where Jewish refugees came under the leadership of Ezra, Nehemiah, Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest and rebuilt the city and its walls
The place where Antiochus Epiphanes of the Seleucid dynasty defiled the rebuilt temple, and a great Jewish revolt took place under Judas Maccabeus and cleansed the temple, giving us the celebration of Hanukkah - in the middle of the 2nd century BC
Its PREEMINENCE as the city where the LORD God of Israel would put His Name forever - II Chronicles 6:6; Psalm 76:1-2; 99:2; 132:13-14

Its PICTURE of God's protection is well known - Psalm 46:6; 125:2

Its PROPHECIES about the Messiah

His coming as a humble King - Zechariah 9:9
His consecration as a child - Luke 2:25-32
His concern for its people - Matthew 23:37 cf. Psalm 36:7
His cutting off - Daniel 9:24-26- Yeshua crucified by Romans (Gentiles) - Matthew 20:17-19; Luke 18:31-33
His conquest of all nations who come against Jerusalem - Zechariah 12:9; 14:3-4
Its PUNISHMENT by Roman armies - 70 AD - predicted by Yeshua - Luke 21:20-24

Its PROBLEM for all nations - Zechariah 12:1-3

Its PROMISES of salvation and future glory Joel 2:32; Zechariah 12:10; 13:1; 14:16 Isaiah 2:2-3; 62:1-5; 65:18-19

The Jewish Wedding and the Bride of Christ

"What a Day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see, and I look upon his face, the one who saved me by His grace. He'll take me by the hand, and lead me to the promise land, What a day, glorious day that will be." Hymn: What a day that will be"

If you are close by, come join us on Tuesday night 6:3opm for our study on "Jewish Wedding-Bride of Christ." Bible prophecy follows a pattern as Jesus well illustrates in His parables and Illustrations built around the traditional Jewish wedding.
Waskom Community Church
Waskom, Texas 75692
903-570-8078 Rev. Mike Mullins

The men who have done the most for God in this World have been on their knees . God is looking for men that are determine to defend the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a world that so much is rejecting Him. Such a committment comes with a price. But if God called us into ministry, then it's our responsiblity to stand up for him and proclaim the Gospel message of the cross. It's an unpopular message in the church today, but it is still the message of the cross, we as ministers are called to proclaim Jesus Christ and Him crucified!!, counting the cost of rejection, rebuke, threats and made fun of. If you are in the ministry for a joy ride, you have gotten in for the wrong reason. It's all about Jesus, not you! Pastoring is serious responsibility before God and pastors will be held accountable to God. We need to restore the "House of God" back to a "House of God" Put the altar back in place, put the cross up, put the Bible back in pew, put the great hymns of the church back in their place of worship.