When Ministry Gets Hard: Why I Think About Quitting Every Day
Ministry is not for the faint of heart. Every pastor, church leader, and Christian worker faces moments when the weight of calling feels unbearable. The attacks intensify, the criticism mounts, and the temptation to walk away from your ministry calling becomes overwhelming. If you're reading this and feeling like you want to quit, you're not alone.
I want to be completely honest with you about something most pastors won't admit: I think about quitting ministry every single day. But before you close this blog post, let me explain what I mean by that. My perspective on quitting might surprise you and could transform how you view the struggles in your own ministry calling.
Recently, I sat down to answer some raw questions from fellow pastors about the realities of modern ministry. What emerged was a conversation about the daily battles every leader faces and the surprising strategies that can transform your worst attacks into your greatest breakthroughs. Whether you're dealing with cancel culture, struggling to grow your church, or simply feeling overwhelmed by leadership, I believe these insights can shift your perspective entirely.
The Daily Decision to Quit the Right Things
When Pastor Shane Idleman asked me about wanting to quit ministry, I gave him an answer that surprised even me. Yes, I think about quitting every single day. But here's the thing: what I'm quitting matters more than the act of quitting itself.
I quit my selfish ambition every day. I quit my pride, my rebellion, and my own plans that compete with God's purposes. True ministry leaders understand that leadership means making your own plans secondary to God's plans. This daily dying to self has become the foundation for authentic ministry calling that withstands external pressure.
Let me tell you about the moment I almost quit for real. I did a movie review of Disney's "Turning Red" for the parents in my congregation and internet audience. It was a biblical perspective on a popular film. I woke up one morning, scrolled through Yahoo News, and saw my own picture next to what looked like a Kanye West article. I thought surely this had to be good news.
It wasn't. That review triggered weeks of death threats to my home and our church locations. Cancel culture came for me with everything they had, all because I gave a biblical perspective on a children's movie.
That was the moment I thought, "Man, I don't know if I want to be in this fight. I didn't sign up for this. I'm just a local church pastor." But here's what I discovered: what I thought was going to cause me to quit ministry ended up being what God used to elevate my ministry calling as a voice for this generation.
The first wave was crushing, but when I learned how to surf it, everything changed. Heroes of the faith reached out to encourage me. What felt like the end became the beginning of greater influence. The enemy couldn't stop me because they didn't start me.
How I Grew Seven Campuses Through Discipleship
Dr. Jeremy Roberts asked me for practical ways to grow a church both numerically and spiritually. I want to give you the strategy that took us from 18 launch team members to seven campuses across some of America's darkest cities.
The DNA of our church is soul-winning. It's evangelism. And this isn't my answer, but if I were to give you Jesus Christ's answer, it would be: seek the lost, draw them to the cross at any cost.
Here's what we did that might sound absolutely insane to typical American evangelical church folks: We led Muslims to Christ, baptized them, and discipled them. We led Hindus to Christ, baptized them, and discipled them. We led atheists and agnostics to Christ, baptized and discipled them. Then we told them that to be a true disciple, they must now lead others to Christ.
We systematically charted and tracked disciples. The question that became most familiar at our church wasn't "Who did you invite to church?" It was "Who did you lead to Christ? Who did you draw to the cross?"
I'll never forget seeing the digital program we used to trace spiritual lineage. We could follow this person who led this person who led this person to Christ. It was like watching a family tree of salvation unfold before our eyes.
We decentralized care from a one-man show to the priesthood of all believers. In American church culture, the pastor wants to be the one who always has the answers. But in a healthy church, disciples need to be equipped with answers to give to their disciples.
What happened was beautiful: people had to grow spiritually in order to disciple the people they led to Christ. A thriving church in New York City is typically 100 people. When we started breaking numerical barriers of 100, 200, 300, then going multi-site, we realized this was happening because we were making disciples who made disciples.
We weren't marketing. I wasn't famous on the internet at this time. I had virtually zero internet presence. But we were making disciples that made disciples, and that caused both spiritual depth and numerical growth in a healthy way.
Navigating the Heresy Hunter Culture
Pastor Kelly from Kansas City asked me about the balance between correction and grace in dealing with Christian influencers and exposed videos. This is the question of the hour.
We undeniably need ministry of discernment and exposure to call out corruption in the local church. You cannot read the New Testament and deny this necessity. But the question isn't if it needs to be done. It's how and who.
When you look at how it's being done, ask yourself: Do I see the fruit of the spirit evident in the approach? When you look at who's doing it, are they making substantial income from this? Are they monetizing criticism? Does there seem to be an ulterior motive?
Look at the consistency of their content. Are they just taking shots at any notable person to raise their own clout? These patterns start to emerge quickly.
If you're a Protestant, you're the product of the Protestant Reformation 500 years ago where men called out corruption in the church. We are sons of the reformers, and that's in our spiritual DNA. But there's a difference between reformation and destruction, between reformation and rejection.
When I studied the actual reformers recently, I was shocked to see how much love and compassion they had for their communities and churches. The word "reformation" is necessary because they weren't trying to eliminate the church. They were trying to reconcile it to biblical truth.
Here's what I've learned from actually doing investigative work for my oversight: When you humanize a congregation and the people affected, when you humanize the people leading, you have to deal with situations with much more precision and depth.
Most people doing heresy-hunting channels simply should not be doing it, and their motives are wrong. They're like trigger-happy cops who spend so much time in brutal environments that they become dysregulated. They're policing the kingdom with their gun out of the holster, shooting first and asking questions second.
The best thing men like us can do is lead with our lives. Rather than responding and reacting to critics, let me respond to the voice of the Father and do His will. I'd rather be known as a chef than a food critic. I'd rather be known as a player than someone in the stands.
Developing Bold Faith in a Hostile Culture
Pastor Travis Johnson asked what I'd tell Christians who want to be bold and unashamed about their faith. My answer is simple: everybody else is bold.
Here in New York City, Muslims flood the streets for daily prayer, getting on their knees and stopping traffic. What would it look like if Christians matched their energy? Everybody else is coming out of the closet. You might as well come out as well.
To be bold for Christ is to know Him. The more intimacy you have with the Father, the more advocacy you have for the Father. This is why Jesus showed up after the resurrection and said, "Touch my nail-scarred hands. Touch the wound in my side." He was saying come closer in proximity because the closer you get to me, the bolder you'll get for me.
The more people lead others to Christ, the more it renews the joy of their salvation and increases their boldness. We need to get back to the point where the body of Christ is being rejected for the sake of Christ. Some of us are so afraid of human opinion that we fear man more than we fear God.
But I believe that the fear of God actually gives us boldness before men. When you truly fear God, the opinions of people lose their power to control your actions.
Listen, I'm telling everybody right now: get loud and do what God's called you to do. Fulfill the Great Commission and stop watching people do it on Instagram.
Conclusion: Embracing Your Ministry Calling
Your ministry calling is under attack because it matters. The enemy wouldn't work so hard to discourage you if your calling wasn't significant. What feels like the end of your ministry might actually be the beginning of your greatest breakthrough.
I've learned that ministry calling isn't about avoiding difficulty but learning to thrive within it. Every challenge you face, every attack you endure, and every moment you want to quit can become the very platform God uses to elevate your influence for His kingdom.
The key is learning to quit the right things while persevering in your calling. Focus on making disciples who make disciples. Lead with wisdom rather than react to criticism. Develop the kind of intimacy with God that produces unshakeable boldness.
Your ministry calling matters more than you realize. Stay faithful, stay bold, and keep fulfilling the Great Commission. The body of Christ is not going on the defensive anymore. We're taking the offensive.
If you're a Christian pastor or leader in ministry and would like to join a network of other leaders led by Pastor Mike for mentoring, encouragement, and teaching, join The MVMNT Network. Find out more here.