How long does a Pastor Work??

So what do you do anyway Pastor when you are at the office? You just look at the Internet and play Spades online huh? Yeah Sometimes, and sometimes I play fantasy football and watch TV, rarely, very rarely but sometimes. However, the life of a Pastor is very hectic. It is a non-stop, always on-demand, 24-7 job.

Anyone still think pastors only work one day per week? According to a study by LifeWay Research, full-time senior pastors tend to work 55 hours or more per week, and 42% work 60 or more hours. When including bi-vocational pastors, part-time senior pastors and volunteer pastors, 35% work at least 60 hours a week, and 30% work 50–59 hours.

Half spend 5–14 hours a week preparing sermons, while 9% spend 25 or more with just 7% spending less than 5. 30% of evangelical pastors spend 20 or more hours a week in sermon preparation vs. 20% of mainline pastors. Other time-consuming activities include meetings, handling e-mail or e-correspondence, counseling others, or in hospital, home or witnessing visits.

More than 70% of pastors spend up to 5 hours a week in meetings with 15% doing so 10 hours or more a week. 30% spend 20–29 hours a week with their families, and 16% report spending 40 or more hours with them. 52% spend 1–6 hours in prayer each week, and the same percentage spend 2–5 hours in personal devotions unrelated to sermon prep. 14% spend an hour or less in personal devotions. 24% watch TV 10–14 hours each week.

The scary stat is while being all things for all people, we are nothing to ourselves. Only 14% spend an hour or less in personal devotion. If we don't personally grow, how can we expect our churches we have been entrusted with to grow.

Owens