Andrew McQuitty, pastor emeritus of Irving Bible Church of Irving, Texas, and founder of the pastor support ministry the Kaleo Collective, was a guest on the Dallas Theological Seminary podcast “The Table”.
McQuitty, who retired from the ministry in 2019, talked about how, during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, the already challenging job of pastor was made harder.
He told host Bill Hendricks that around 1,500 pastors left the pastorate every month during the height of the pandemic and government lockdown measures.
The reasons ranged from lack of moral support, dwindling finances and little contact with congregants, and when churches reopened, few people in the pews. He described the pastors “as withering on the vine.”
McQuitty, who said he felt guilty about retiring the year before the pandemic began, was inspired by the dire situation to launch his pastor support ministry. Another factor, he said, was the “remembrance of my peers that kept me going here in Dallas for 30 years” and helped him out when he was a senior pastor.
McQuitty’s remarks and his ministry come at a time when churches in the United States are experiencing concerns about pastoral succession, as the average age of clergy has been increasing in recent years.
According to a recent study from the Barna Group, as of last year, the average age for a Protestant pastor in the U.S. was 52, while only 16% of Protestant pastors were younger than 40.