The church in America is in crisis. Focus on the Family reports that approximately 1,500 pastors are leaving their assignments each month. Psychologist Richard Blackmon, in an article in the Los Angeles Times, claims that “pastors are the single most occupationally frustrated group in America.” About 75 percent go through periods of stress so great that they consider quitting the ministry.

Seminaries across the nation report enrollment is up, yet an increasing percentage of students are selecting non-pastoral ministry options for their future.

Thomas Graves, president of Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond, Va., said, “The most serious problem facing the church today is the declining number of young people who understand themselves as called to ministry and the declining quality of that number.”

Lack of competent leadership available to meet the needs of the local church can be blamed on many things. The cultural shift in America is certainly near the top.

Fifty years ago, no one would have scheduled a soccer game or civic event on Sunday. Now, the church matters less and ministry has lost it prominence, making it less attractive to many.

In the book, “Pastors at Greater Risk,” authors H.B. London and Neil Wiseman note that 25 percent of pastors are forced out of their positions or are fired each year, and 40 percent of pastors say they have considered leaving the ministry in the past three months. The average length a pastor stays in active ministry is 15 years with the top reasons for leaving being conflict with people in the church, low compensation, unreasonable expectations from church members, moral failure and burnout.

Here’s my two cents: If you have a good pastor, make an effort to keep him or her. They will not be Joel Osteen, T.D. Jakes, Ed Young Jr. or Beth Moore, but there’s one thing for certain, there are fewer, and perhaps inferior replacements should you send them packing.

Your pastor is not perfect, nor will ever be. Try meeting with your pastor and doing something that goes against the grain of our culture — communicate openly, address concerns honestly, and love them unconditionally. Pastors are people, too.

Del Loy is pastor of Crosspoint Church in Natchez.