LCM Email Volume 7

Greetings Pastors, Partners, and friends of Legacy Christian Ministries,

Tracie and I have just started a month long ministry tour speaking at conferences and churches, as well as encouraging local church pastors and wives in their assignments. It is a part of our call and assignment and we are enjoying this season.

We always want to start our email updates with gratitude and thanks for the invitations to minister across this country and globe -AND- for the growing number of financial and prayer partners who are helping to underwrite and undergird this ministry. I am not embellishing when I tell you that our nation’s pastors are facing unprecedented spiritual warfare and personal assault. It is certainly true that the Lord is “shaking all that can be shaken” and cleaning His House from unrighteous and unqualified leadership, but there are untold hundreds of thousands of pastors who are walking faithfully in their assigned churches doing the work of the ministry under incredible challenge.

The recent statistics show us just a glimpse of what is going on…

The quality of life for pastors in the United States has declined significantly, reaching a critical point between 2015 and 2023, characterized by high rates of burnout, emotional exhaustion, and loneliness. A 2023 Barna survey indicates that while some indicators showed slight stabilization in early 2024, the overall trend shows a massive dip in well-being, with 40% of pastors at high risk of burnout—a nearly 400% increase since 2015.

Key Quality of Life Statistics (2022–2024 Data) 

• Overall Well-being: Only 19% of pastors rated their overall quality of life as “excellent” in 2023, a drop from 42% in 2015.
• Mental & Emotional Health: Reports of excellent mental and emotional health plummeted from 39% in 2015 to 11–14% in 2023.
• Burnout Risk: Roughly 40% of pastors are at high risk of burnout.
• Leaving Ministry: In 2022, 42% of pastors had seriously considered quitting, though this number showed signs of dipping to 24% by early 2024 as the acute pressure of the pandemic eased.
• Suicidal Thoughts: Nearly one in five (18%) Protestant senior pastors reported contemplating self-harm or suicide in the past year.
• Physical Health: Only 11% of pastors reported excellent physical well-being in 2023, down from 24% in 2015

Factors Affecting Pastoral Quality of Life 

• Loneliness: 65% of pastors report feeling lonely or isolated.
• Lack of Friendships: Only 19% of pastors feel they have “true friends,” a decrease from 34% in 2015.
• Support Systems: 63% of pastors never seek out support from a professional counselor or therapist.
• Workload: 72% of pastors report working 55 to 75 hours per week, with 84% feeling they are on call 24/7.
• Family Impact: 80% believe ministry has negatively affected their families, with 65% feeling their family lives in a “glass house” with high external expectations.
• Community Respect: The perception of respect from the community has dropped, with only 7-10% of pastors ranking it as “excellent” in 2023, down from 22% in 2015

This is why what LCM and the Baird’s provide is not only important…but essential. We literally walk into offices and are able to strengthen pastoral couples who are exhausted and hanging on by the grace of God. These are good and faithful servants. People who have given their lives for the work of the ministry. They need encouragement, wisdom, and a friendly ear.

You, my partners, are making these moments possible.

Recently, a good friend of mine called to encourage me and reminded me where the term “partner” originated. It is a nautical term referencing what is called, “the mast partner”. A “partner” on a ship’s mast is a reinforced structural framework of timber or metal built into the deck surrounding the opening where the mast passes through. They serve as a crucial support mechanism for the mast, helping it to withstand the enormous lateral pressures of the sails and rigging. Without the mast partners, the mast would snap under the force of the winds applied to the sails. Interestingly, these mast partners are found on every deck level that the mast passes through. They act as an unseen reinforcement to the visible work of the mast. But make no mistake, the mast wouldn’t last long without the critical work of the partners.

It’s an easy illustration as to why ministries NEED and rely on the faithful gifts and resources of their partners. Tracie and I may be the ones standing on the platform or sitting in the offices or living rooms of these pastors, but we couldn’t do this work without partners at every level.

To accomplish the vision that God has put before us we are praying for uncommon resources to be released into LCM to underwrite the work. Our prayers and faith declarations have been centered around the following.

1. That the Lord would provide in 2026: 50 people to partner with us at $200/per month; 100 people to partner with us at $100/per month; and 100 people to partner with us at $50/per month. This would provide a foundation for our travel, office, and underwriting to be able to respond to any pastors invitation or request across the country. 
2. That the Lord would provide in 2026, 25 churches who would view LCM as an apostolic ministry worthy of financially underwriting in their missions budget as key instruments in maintaining the health and vitality of local churches across the globe.
3. Open doors of invitations to provide ministry, wisdom, and counseling to pastors and churches who request it. We desire to go wherever we are asked without consideration of size or visibility. EVERY PASTOR AND CHURCH IS VITAL! 
4. LCM is needing upgraded technology to provide online services of counseling and podcasting to those reaching out for more wisdom and content.
5. That in 2026, there would be 4 one-time, uncommon financial gifts, released to LCM for major ministry application.

This is only the beginning, but as many of you are aware, God’s plans are limitless and amazing, but it takes “partners” to see any of this come to pass.

If you are currently a partner, you are incredibly appreciated. We thank you!

If you are not currently a partner, would you consider a financial partnership?

Your generosity as a “partner”, no matter the level, provides the stability and strength for us to point this ship into the wind.

If you are giving monthly, please use the LINK PROVIDED ON THIS SITE for your donation. (Please be advised that your donation is tax-deductible and you may choose any or NO administrative fee on the link by checking the box provided. This way, all your donation can go towards the ministry.)

If you are would like to give an uncommon gift of $1,000 or more, it would be best to send that check to:

LEGACY CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES

956 Rustlewood Lane

St. Johns, FL. 32259

Thank-you for your consideration and we appreciate all our prayer warriors interceding for our safety and effectiveness.

God Bless…