Four Common Complaints of Campus Based College Ministers?

 Some years ago when I was doing some consulting for the national BCM office, I was in a meeting of Church College Ministers from all over the country.  In their discussions, it was obvious that their number one complaint was often not being able to get to the campus due to meetings at the church.

What is the Number One Complaint of Campus Based College Ministers?  I polled a number of veteran Campus Based College Ministers and got a variety of answers.

1.  Lack of understanding of and appreciation of College Ministry and it being a valued calling.

Many shared how people did not understand college ministry as a lifetime calling and saw it simply as the road to getting a pastorate or a church staff position.  One shared that his mother asked him, "When will you get your own church?"  I had the experience of speaking in churches and someone would come up, be complimentary and tell me they thought I was good enough to have my own church.  Do people tell a Dentist they think he is good enough to be a Doctor?

2.  Pressure to produce numbers to justify existence.

Many outside of college ministry do not understand that to some degree or other a college ministry population turns over EVERY YEAR.  Students graduate; some have to go away for a semester to student teach or do an internship. You have to re-enlist your whole ministry again each fall.  A church that averages 100-200 may have most of the same people over a year or two time.  A college ministry that averages 50-75 may minister to more different people than that church of 100-200 did over a two year period.

The most dreaded question is "How many did you have last night?"  What is the magic number for people to feel you are doing a good job?  On some campuses having 35 is a miracle of God.

3. The competitiveness of ministries

One of the good things happening today is that more churches are being serious about reaching the campus near them.  But, often churches and their denominational ministry on campus bump into each other.  One College Minister said, "My churches want me to direct students to them, which I see as part of my job and do. But, then the church gets them so busy they drop my ministry."  One College Minister told of inviting all the local Church College Ministers to be introduced at his fall kickoff event and say something about their ministry.  One Church College Minister announced and invited the students to an event he had each week at the same time as the campus worship event.  Was that fair? Working together, building our ministry and not being "competitive" takes effort and communication.

4.  Feeling alone and that no one else cares.

This and comparison to other ministries are the top two killers of College Ministers.  Campus Based College Ministers are not faculty, they are not church staff, and many work by themselves.  Someone has said, "we are neither fish nor fowl."

Arliss Dickerson writes some books.  Check one out here Amazon.com/dp/B0MW8NPMN.  7 Red Flags In A Dating Relationship is available at Amazon.com,dp/B0DTTRJH38.