How Does a Southern Baptist Pastor Spend a Workday?

Prayer and Devotion

Most Southern Baptist pastors will begin their day by communing with God through prayer and a personal devotion time. This helps to get the day off to a good start and focused on God's will for the day. Pastors will tell you that this is good advice for all Christians.

Hospital and Home Visits

A Southern Baptist pastor will spend at least a couple of hours each day visiting members of his congregation who are in the hospital or unable to leave home due to illness or injury. He will spend a considerable amount of time ministering to these people and tending to their physical and spiritual needs as he and they see fit. He may administer the Lord's Supper to those physically unable to attend service and keep them up to date on Sunday School lessons or church happenings for the week.

Sermon Preparation

Throughout each day, and probably a little at a time, the Southern Baptist pastor will work on sermon preparation. A 30- to 45-minute sermon will generally require about 8 to 10 hours of work, and many Southern Baptist pastors have at least two sermons to prepare each week. Sermon preparation will include reading the selected text from the Bible several times and consulting commentaries for main points. As the pastor studies the text, he looks for its relevance in the lives of his church members. Much prayer goes into sermon preparation as the pastor discerns what God would have him teach his congregation.

Staff and Committee Meetings

Southern Baptists routinely form staffs and committees to oversee various aspects of carrying out the church's purpose. As a result, the pastor will be required to attend various committee and staff meetings so that he can keep abreast of everything that affects his leadership within the church. Depending on the size of the church, there are usually at least four to five meetings each week that must be attended.

Call Visitors and Absentees

Each day, the Southern Baptist pastor will allocate some time to call last week's absentees from his congregation and to visit newcomers who may have been in the service. This is not to check up on anyone, but rather to let them know that they were missed and see if there is anything the church may be able to assist with.

Counseling Sessions

Counseling sessions are another function that every Southern Baptist pastor must allocate time for every day. Church members are encouraged to seek help from his leadership and Christian perspective before looking to the secular social work services for a variety of issues that may come up in a person's life.

Personal Study Time

The Southern Baptist pastor cannot neglect his own personal study time. He must set aside time each day for studying the Bible for personal edification. At least an hour a day will be spent studying God's word as it relates to the pastor's personal life and his family.

Family Time

The Southern Baptist pastor has to make time for his family. This is extremely important in maintaining a balance between work and home. Too often, pastors tend to spend more time working for their church at the expense of family. He will set aside time to spend with his family doing activities, leading in family devotions and prayer.