The Vulnerable Pastor: Being a Human Being in Ministry w/ Mandy Smith

Ecclesia pastor and author Mandy Smith has done some deep thinking on what it means to be a human in ministry and how God shows up in our weakness.

Often as pastors we feel like we need to project strength and competency in order to minister effectively. That’s why we go to conferences and emulate the latest superstars. But we know we can never live up to those images. Deep down, we know our own limitations, our weaknesses, our faults. We fear that if people knew who we really are, we’d be disqualified from ministry.

Not so. Mandy Smith points us to the biblical paradox that God’s strength is revealed through our human weakness, that vulnerability shapes ministry, through our spiritual practices and relationships, influencing our preaching, teaching and even the nuts and bolts of the daily schedule. Understanding our human constraints makes our ministry more sustainable and guards us against disillusionment and burnout.