When People Don’t Trust Pastors

Trust Has Left the Building

It seems like every week, we hear about another pastor who has had to step down from pastoral ministry. Whether it’s from a church in a small town or a high-profile megachurch, pastors are leaving the pulpit for reasons ranging from the misuse of church funds to sexual sin to criminal behavior. But are these more extreme cases the norm?

The truth is, New Testament authors discussed the misuse of the pastoral role 2,000 years ago (Matt. 7:15-20, Acts 20:28-31, Jude 17-19). And while there is nothing new under the sun, a recent Gallup research study shows that trust in clergy is at an all-time low in the United States. Lifeway research notes that, in 1985, 67% of the U.S. population saw pastors as very trustworthy, while today, that number has dropped 30 points.

We are in an epidemic of mistrust for pastors. Therefore, pastors must ask, “If the general population doesn’t trust the pastor, what should the pastor do about it?”

How Can Pastors Instill Trust?

To rebuild the trust needed to be effective in ministry, pastors should revisit Scripture’s teaching about what a faithful pastor must do and be.

1. Preach the Word.

In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul urges Timothy to “preach the word” because “the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.” Paul essentially warns Timothy not to become one of those preachers who seeks to entertain the church and neglects his true calling to preach God’s word.

It seems counterintuitive, but if you want to be known as a trustworthy pastor, don’t try to please people with your preaching. Rather, faithfully preach God’s word, even if it is offensive.

2. Reach the lost. Don’t just win arguments.

Paul guides Timothy’s approach to engaging with people who disagree with his teaching. In 2 Timothy 2:24-26, Paul exhorts Timothy to teach in a non-quarrelsome way that endures evil, is kind to all, and exudes gentleness—motivated by a desire to see people come to faith and repentance.

Building trust with the lost requires abandoning the youthful desire to argue just for the win. It requires learning how to disagree in a way that demonstrates care and preserves the dignity of hearers while still maintaining your biblical convictions.

3. Lay down your life.

There are many examples in Scripture of bad shepherds who used the people of God for their own benefit—but not Jesus. In John 10:11-13, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life to serve the sheep He loves. John contrasts Him to the hired hands who “care nothing for the sheep” and who, when danger comes, abandon the sheep.

If you want to build trust among your people, be there for them when it’s hard, when it’s inconvenient, when it costs you something. People can tell when you’re just on staff to collect the paycheck, so ask yourself, “Do I love these people, or do I just like being in charge?”

4. Don’t do ministry alone.

Doing ministry alone is dangerous, leading to loneliness, unchallenged thinking, and an inability to see where you need to grow. Wisdom says it’s better to have a plurality of leaders and friends around you who know you and can pick you up if you fall (Eccl. 4:9-12), who can help you grow in your thinking and leadership (Prov. 27:17) and can encourage you to be more like Christ (James 5:16).

If you want to guarantee that people will distrust your leadership, do it alone, surround yourself only with people who agree with you or are afraid to challenge you, and be sure to avoid authentic relationships that allow you to confess and repent from sin.

But if you want to build confidence in your leadership, practice what you preach about deep, meaningful friendships by having people in your life who will hold you accountable to fulfill your calling well. 

5. Care for your soul

Whether you are a full-time pastor, bi-vocational pastor, or even a lay pastor, ministry life is busy. And, when life gets busy, we’re prone to stop caring for ourselves as we focus on the tasks at hand. However, Paul warns Timothy to watch his life and doctrine closely. He warns Timothy not to neglect taking care of himself in the course of his pastoral ministry.

Pastors can have doubts. Are you taking those to the Lord?

Pastors can get overwhelmed. Are you praying for wisdom?

Pastors can get worn out. Do you have rhythms of rest and solitude?

If you’re getting the job done but neglecting the care of your soul, people may trust you initially. But, when it all comes crashing down because you became burned out or turned to some secret sin instead of the Savior’s comfort, you will erode that trust.

Caring for your soul is crucial to your ministry. That’s why we created Soul Care for Pastors. It’s our gift to you to help you and your pastoral staff stay focused on leading from a healthy place. We hope it is a blessing to you.

Conclusion

If you minister in a church where trust in the pastoral team has been broken, understand that trust may not be quickly restored.  Being trustworthy is what you can control. Invest in the things God calls pastors to do and be, and you will build a culture of trustworthiness that people can lean on.

©2024 Josh Zeichik. Used with permission.