It's getting better...still need more.

    Prior to going to church, I had no idea what being a pastor consisted of. I knew they taught the Bible on Sunday mornings, but had no other clue as to what elsee they did. After going to church for a period of time and getting to know my current pastor, I now have a different view of what they do. I also feel I will one day be a pastor. Since I feel that I am going to be a pastor, I decide to write my paper on what being a pastor is all about. I went online to different career sites to get a description of a pastor, as well as interviewed a couple of pastors from my church, Senior Pastor Joe Coleman. After reading this paper I hope you also have a better understanding of what being a pastor is all about.
    Some of the duties of a pastor is to teach the Bible to your congregation, counsel the people, and help individuals who are going through a tough period of time. These things aren’t done like other 9 to 5 jobs. It is, as Pastor Joe Coleman says, a 24 hour a day 7 day a week job. Pastor Jim Doub, assistant pastor to Joe Coleman, says, it includes teaching in nursing homes, missions, home visits, and hospitals.
    Training really depends on the denomination that the pastor is with. Career Planner says that you need to be trained in Philosophy, Theology, Psychology, English Language, Therapy, Counseling, and Communications. Pastor Jim Doub on the other hand says, “Since being a ‘pastor’ is a calling from God and not man, education, in the formal sense, is not a pre-requisite.”
    Salary, as with training, have to do with what denomination the minister is with, every group has a different salary they get. According to Michigan Department of Career Development, “Earnings for Clergy Members depend on the particular denomination, the size and financial status of the individual congregation, or the type of organization for which they work.” Joe Coleman points out that in some instances, there is a ‘starting salary,’ but not always. There are times when a pastor has to roll up his sleeves and get a second job.
    The job out look for this job is good. As long as there are religious people there will be a need for religious teachers. Even though there may be a lot of jobs as “religious leaders,” you are still limited depending on which religion you are. As Michigan Department of Career Development has shown, an average of 130 annual openings is expected, with 60 due to growth and 70 due to replacement of clergy who retire, die or leave the active ministry for other reasons. Additional openings may occur as Clergy members change positions or occupations. As Jim Doub explains that it is not like working any other job, it is up to God when a person should step down from the full time ministry but serving for a pastor never ends.
Having received this additional info, I do believe that this job is for me. Not because of the salary, but because I want to help people and I believe that I can do just that in this wonderful job. I will be able to use my skills and attributes to help others with different things that they may be going through.