Preacher’s Keeping Journals
My new interns have been asking me about keeping journals. They are required to keep one over the summer, but have been wondering how detailed this record should be (I am for interns keeping these because of the need for greater accountability with younger ministers). So I wanted to discuss this job of keeping a journal. I am not talking about a personal spiritual journal that is private, but a journal for the elders or for the congregation to see. These public journals are often used to check in on the minister. Personally, I am opposed to keeping a journal for the elders or for the congregation. I have various reasons for this. I would also like to add that I have never been asked to keep one at Waynesboro or Castle Rock. The elders at Waynesboro trusted me completely as well as Castle Rock. And to make sure no one is thinking I am just trying to get out of this, I have not been asked to keep one. The first reason is that the nature of ministry is not overly conducive to keeping a journal. You could write down the big stuff in a journal, but my ministry moves too quickly to give a detailed one which would mean the journal I turned in would show less work accomplished. On Friday night, I came home to a message on my phone, I texted the guy’s wife who was in the hospital. All at 10:30 at night. OK, so probably I am not remembering to write this in my journal the next morning. On Saturday I talked to two Mormon “elders” for an hour and than headed to the hospital. Was the chatting with the Mormons a Bible study? Or just a conversation? So should I include it.
This leads to the next problem with journals, what is work and what is not work? I had a great friend (one of my favorite people on earth) have a disagreement with a youth deacon over if preparing for Bible class was considered work or not. The problem is that often ministers and church leaders have different understandings of what is a minister’s work. The journal is more of a point of contention than unity.
The final reason comes from a mature and great minister named Bobby from Waynesboro. I asked him one day about having to keep a journal. He stated clearly that if the congregation could not trust him enough to be doing what he needed to be doing as the minister, than he did not need to be the minister of that congregation. If there was that little trust between the leadership and the minister, there was or is a serious problem.
A minister should keep a spiritual journal for his private relationship with God but this journal should not be required to be public record for a congregation to debate about because it will lead to problems. Ultimately, you will see if a minister is working or not working but the fruit that he or she produces.
Related posts:
- The Role of Religious Journals in the Restoration Movement
- The Problem with Preachers
- Hiring Preachers and Being Stagnant
- Praise to Preachers
- Elders-Preachers Retreat
About The Author
A young minister through a journal can be mentored by a mature eldership or another minister on staff, so this practice can be helpful, but for a mature and seasoned minister, this is a sad duty.
I have never been asked to keep a journal or log of how I spend my time or what activities am I doing thoughout the day. I have, however, told leaders in the congregations I have worked with that my pocket calendar is an open book if they ever have questions. No one has ever asked or questioned me about this matter.
As for what is work and what is not for a minister…yeah, I think that misses the point and I would be shocked to hear any experienced minister trying to make such a distinction. For me, ministry is not a job but a vocational lifestyle. Is there work involved in developing and preaching a sermon, facillitating a leaders meeting, meeting someone for consultation and/or Bible-study, etc…? Sure but I also enjoy that, long for that, and neither need a salary or to know I am “officially” on the clock to do such activity. The salary just helps my family meet our financial responsibilities.
My brother is a truck-driver and anyone who is in that profession, knows it is not a 9-5 job. It is a lifestyle. The same is for missions/ministry. It is the way we live.
Grace and peace,
Rex
Rex, you are right, it is more of a lifestyle than a job.
I have kept a daily/weekly log of work and I benefited from it. It was upon request from elders. I do not keep one know but we talked about it at the first of this year. I kept up with January and no one asked me so I stopped it. The last one I did for my elders now they never read it. Stopped again. I do see merit for summer youth interns. At the end of the summer they can see what they have done. It can be a benefit and it can be useless. Sure our leaders should trust us enough and they should be involved with us in ministry to see what we are doing. I have no problem with it if they are looking out for me. But if they are looking “out” for me they need to hire a hireling.
Is the kind of journal Matthew speaking of necessary? No. However, if you write or draw as I do then a journal is a must. I have the one in the picture that’s on the top of the stack. Its blank pages lend itself to drawing and jotting down ideas for my next article, sketch, and sermon. I even keep a small notepad in my back pocket. This has also been a very useful tool where I can transfer my small notes to my main journal. That plum idea you have while at the hospital? You will not remember it.
God bless.
I agree with Bobby completely. The work of a minister is such that it is impossible to punch a clock. Sad to say many do not recognize the ministry to be a calling but would make of it merely another profession or career hence the reason for a call to keep a log.
I use the voice option or the notepad on my blackberry to record good ideas. I have to because they do not happen often. Thank you to everyone who has made a comment.