Almost every pastor I know grieves consumerism among American evangelicals today. But what if pastors are equally at fault?

To many worshipers, the church is like a business.

They choose their spiritual home on the basis of the goods and services they will receive, much as a consumer chooses a retail store. This means the modern pastor is tempted to grow his church by offering better services than his competitors (other churches) in what is statistically a shrinking market.

To make matters even more challenging, every local church now has the potential to become global via the internet and the multisite movement. This means that a local church pastor may lose members not only to the most innovative and effective church in the neighborhood, but also to the most innovative and effective in the world. A church on the other side of the globe can now be effectively “in the neighborhood.” This dynamic produces greater pressure for a pastor to lead the church like an entrepreneur drives a business, and more pastors than ever are surely discouraged, exhausted, and disillusioned.

The modern pastor is tempted to grow his church by offering better services than his competitors.

But I wonder how many pastors, while criticizing members for seeing the church as a business enterprise, are being hypocritical? How many pastors are guilty of not only playing into that false model of church, but also perpetuating it? All you have to do is look at a pastor’s updated resume to see if he is merely living out the ugly flip side of Christian consumerism: the career-minded pastor.

Corporation or church?

If the church were indeed a business, then a pastor would be wise to view his occupation much as any businessperson sees their career. The goal would be to improve skills, land the role of greatest influence, gain the most responsibility, and be rewarded by the best compensation package, all while residing in the most livable city.

But if the local church is viewed biblically—less like a business and more like a family (Luke 8:19–21)—then moving up the “ladder” of pastoral leadership makes as much sense as switching out families every few years. In many ways, pastors leaving the leadership position of one church to go to the next more promising church could be as damaging as a family having a revolving father every couple years.

Gifted or a gift?

Too many pastors focus on their individual spiritual gifts while missing the bigger idea that they themselves are gifted to the church. While 1 Corinthians 12 (“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good,” 1 Cor. 12:7) is very important to helping pastors understand how they may best minister to the church, Ephesians 4 gives the framework for understanding the purpose of pastoral ministry: “He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:11–12).

Moving up the “ladder” of pastoral leadership makes as much sense as switching out families every few years.

If a pastor sees the church as a place to display his gifts, he will be prone to move from job to job and church to church until he finds the perfect fit. However, if the pastor sees himself as a gift to the church, he is far less likely to give and take himself away. The positive and negative implications of a possible transition from a church family will carry a greater weight on him personally as he contemplates opportunities.

Place or people?

People need Jesus everywhere, which also means we need churches everywhere. Yet some places are more attractive to pastors for different reasons, and many pastors make vocational decisions on the basis of location. Unchurched urban areas in blue-state “none zones” (where the majority of people define their religion as “none”) are far more attractive than suburban communities in Bible-Belt red states.

If the pastor sees himself as a gift to the church, he is far less likely to give and take himself away.

But the church isn’t a place—the church is a people. People are certainly more important than places. More important than committing yourself to a place for the rest of your life is to be solely devoted to a people.

Longevity and commitment

While Jesus may redirect any pastor at any time, I believe he asks most pastors to humbly, sacrificially, and joyfully stay planted in one area and serve the church. It can be detrimental to both the pastor and his people to continually be leaving for the “next best thing.” Planting roots in one church will create a stability that will provide an environment for a healthier church.

Admittedly, it can be appealing to always be on the lookout for a more attractive position in a new church or city. But I believe that’s not what Jesus is calling many pastors to do. If pastors listened to Jesus, the church would be less consumeristic and more committed as they follow the model of their leader.