Crises come without warning. When they arrive in a church or ministry, they require the fully devoted attention of pastors, elders and ministry leaders. No matter what is written on your calendar for the day, it all changes when there is a crisis.
One online source defines crisis as “an unexpected event that leads to a potentially dangerous situation affecting individuals, communities, or even the global environment. The term can take various forms, such as personal, economic, environmental, or public-health crises, each underscoring different contexts and implications.”
While pastoring a military church one-half mile from the Fort Campbell Army post, our crisis was the attack on our country on Sept. 11, 2001. That event changed everything we had planned. National news organizations began to show up in our community, and we began to think through ministry to families who would be directly impacted.
For others in ministry leadership, the crisis may be a fire that destroys a church building, the sudden death of a pastor or staff person, accusations of sexual abuse or financial impropriety and much more.
Crises will come in every ministry leadership setting. Pastors, elders and ministry leaders will be responsible to lead in helping God’s people navigate those crises. What can we do when a crisis comes to our place of ministry? Here are five suggestions.
1. Get involved quickly: Proverbs 16:9 reminds us, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” At no time does that verse seem more relevant than when we are faced with an unexpected event in our ministry setting. When Covid became a global pandemic, it was all hands on deck for all ministry leaders in our state. When a crisis comes, then other plans may be put on the back burner as we get involved with a matter that impacts the church or community.
2. Show up to help: In the church community of my first pastorate, a fire swept through the home of a senior adult lady which took her life. She was the grandmother of a young man in our church. The only thing I could do as an inexperienced 27-year-old pastor was to show up and love that family. They did not need me to put out the fire – the firefighters were there for that. They needed me to just be there.
3. Be a comforter: The best advice for most of us when it comes to leaning into a crisis situation can be found in the writings of Paul. Romans 12:15 exhorts us, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” People in crisis need to know that their leaders care and that they are there to help. We need not struggle initially with the right words to say, but with the right actions to show. The late Southern Seminary Crisis Counseling Professor Dr. Bill Cutrer reminded budding pastors and ministry leadersthat the ministry of presence matters most when people are in crisis.
4. Seek wise counsel: King Solomon reminds us in Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” As a pastor, elder or ministry leader, your response to a crisis may require legal counsel, care for people impacted, communications to staff, church members and possibly the community. Most of us will need help from the larger body of Christ to know what to do in a crisis. No leader can be expected to know everything, but each leader can be expected to seek counsel from others who have dealt with situations similar to yours.
5. Pray, pray, pray: Pastor Mark Faughn from Cedar Bluff Baptist Church in Princeton, Ky., regularly calls on the church to pray. After hearing prayer requests from the congregation, Pastor Mark exhorts them to, “Pray, pray, pray, and when you get tired of praying, pray some more.” He reminds his people that we are not adequate in and of ourselves to face life’s challenges. We need help from the Lord. Leaders who are navigating a crisis also need help from the Lord, and that help is only a prayer away.
One more thing: The crisis is not over after the funeral, or after the incident has been cleaned up, or after the media has moved on to the next story. People will be impacted for weeks, months and possibly years to come. It is a good practice to set a reminder to keep in touch with those who are closest to the crisis and most impacted by it.
May the Lord help those of us who lead churches and Christian ministries to navigate all the challenges that come our way and may He be glorified by the way we walk through those challenges.
Dr. Todd Gray 