Is it time to go?
Maybe. Maybe not. But the unique burdens of ministry can drive any pastor to ask the question.
"In 2022, 42 percent of surveyed pastors said they considered quitting ministry in the previous year." -Barna
Are you burned out?
Do you feel there's no one you can talk to about your vocational doubts?​
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Are you troubled by the toll ministry is having on you and your family?
Do you feel guilty for thinking about leaving ministry?
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Do you wonder what else you could do with your life?
Are you concerned your church will fall apart without you?
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Do you worry there's nothing else you could do to make money and a difference?
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Do you feel trapped?
My heart is to draw alongside pastors who have doubts about their future in vocational ministry, and help them make decisions and plans that will be good for them, their families, and their churches.
My commitment to you
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I will help you make the decision to leave well or stay well, and I will help you make a plan for the good of you and those you love.
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The topics we'll cover
The Root of Your Desires or Doubts
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The Health of You, Your Family, and Your Church
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Truth and Lies
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Short Term and Long Term Changes
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Leaving or Staying Well
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Vocational Options
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What's Next?
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How this will look​
-We will meet weekly, by phone, for 6 weeks.
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-Between sessions I'll be available to answer questions through a shared messaging app.
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-Throughout our time together I'll be creating personalized resources and documents for you to use and keep.
-Your purchase includes a check-in, 6 months following our time together.
I'm Erik
And I've been in your shoes.
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I spent the first 22 years of my adult life as a pastor. I started as a youth pastor in 2000 and ended up planting a church in 2008, which I pastored until my retirement in 2022.
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I wouldn't trade those years of ministry for anything. I'm grateful for the opportunities I had, the grace I was given, and the people whom I had the privilege of serving.
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Also, I'm glad I moved on. Getting out of vocational ministry has been good for me, my family, and my church. I've come to understand my wife, my kids, (and even pastoring) more in the last couple years than perhaps the previous 20.
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That said, it was a very difficult decision and transition, complete with fear, loneliness, and second-guessing. Was I making the right decision? Was my church going to be okay without me? How would I provide for my family?
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Looking back, I remember scouring the internet, looking for someone outside my situation who could look in and give me counsel, help, and direction.
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If you've found this page, you've found what I was looking for.
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Fill out an application and we'll set up a conversation to see if we'd be a good fit for one another.
"Freedom to do or not to do - For him who has an unaffected love for his neighbor and his work, vocation becomes flexible and adaptable. For him who in truth loves only himself, vocation becomes rigid, unyielding, and coercive." -Gustaf Wingren