'Pastoring the Unemployed' by an Unemployed Pastor

By Ben Kurz

I recently marked ten years of pastoring my church -- a wonderful group of Christ followers in the heart of North Florida.  However, because of our small size and limited finances, the church does not give me a paycheck.  They do generously pay for my health insurance and have provided other benefits over the years, but the foundation of my income comes from my other job -- teaching high school.  For the past six years, I have taught history, English, music, computers, Bible, and any other topic that the Christian schools needed me to teach. 

And Now I’m Unemployed

On Friday, March 13, I said, “See you in a week” to my students as we departed for spring break. The next day, we discovered that spring break would be two weeks on account of the novel coronavirus outbreak.  A week later, I received a call from school administration to inform me that the school would be closed indefinitely.  In that instant, I became one of the 16 million Americans who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19.

Pastoring the unemployed is a growing need that churches all around the world are now facing.  My current experience being both a pastor and an unemployed worker has been bittersweet.  On one hand, I have much more time to minister to my church members as we go through this difficult season.  On the other, I am experiencing the deep feelings of uncertainty that follows the loss of a job.  I am both in need of money, and ministering to people who are also in need of money. As I have examined my own experience and the experience of the believers around me, I have noticed four areas that need pastoral care.

Physical needs

The 50% of Americans who live paycheck to paycheck simply cannot function very long without income.  Some may be choosing between food and a house payment.  Others may be cutting back on every expense possible because their limited funds are running dry.  A government stimulus only lasts so long when there are bills to pay, and unemployment compensation is unreliable (in my home state of Florida, as of the time of this writing, 1.5 million people have applied for unemployment but only 200,000 have received any money).

Fear

A pandemic is stressful for everyone, but those feelings compound with unemployment.  The fear of living without income crawls into the mind.  There is also the fear that jobs might not even be available once this pandemic subsides (many employers are considering cutting back on personnel permanently). The currently unemployed are unique in that most of them are skilled people who are capable of working, had been working, and want to work yet are simply not allowed to work right now. Along with that frustration and fear is the uncertainty about whether the unemployed person should wait on her old job to return or whether she should go out looking for a new one.

Feelings of betrayal

A friend of mine was recently laid off from his long-time sales job. He’s consistently been one of their hardest and faithful workers. After becoming unemployed, he began experiencing feelings of worthlessness and betrayal by his employer.  In my own teaching position, our administration often stressed that we are “one big family here” and that we “watch out for one another.”  Yet when faced with the threat of financial hardship, they cut nearly everyone loose with no other explanation than “There will be no more paychecks and you need to file for unemployment.”  I understand that a business is a business and must be mindful of the bottom line, but workers like my friend can harbor feelings of bitterness that their employers didn’t try harder to care for their employees.

Discouragement and Anxiety

Not knowing when and how this pandemic will end gives everyone uncertainty. For those who have lost their livelihood and are facing the prospect of starting over from scratch, it’s extra discouraging.  On April 16, 2020, Newsweek reported that prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications have increased by over 34% since the pandemic began.

Unemployed people experiencing physical needs, fearfulness, betrayal, discouragement, and anxiety absolutely need pastoral care.  What can we actually do, however, especially when entire communities have stay-at-home orders?  Here are a few ideas:

1. Keep in contact with them! 

Let them know they are valuable and remembered -- both by you and the Lord.  

2. Gently inquire about physical needs and seek to find practical ways to provide.

Many of these self-sufficient laid-off workers will not ask for help, but will rather suffer in silence. Discovering needs and meeting them, even in small ways, is a practical encouragement.  A gift card, a fuel card, a bag of groceries, or even a package of toilet paper can be very encouraging to a person who is struggling with fear and anxiety over the future.

3. Pray for them and pray with them. 

On the phone.  Over text.  Via FaceTime.  Whatever works.

4. Encourage them to not waste their unemployment.

Know that God has given you this time and use this time to diligently seek the Lord. Grow in Him.  It could be helpful to offer independent Bible studies they can do along with virtual small group Bible discussions for mutual encouragement and accountability.   

5. Point them to Jesus.

Jesus is the One who became poor, the One who was betrayed, the One who took on the stresses and pains of life.  Point them to Jesus: the One who both understands our weaknesses, and has the power to bring us through.

In the end, one way or another, our Lord Jesus will bring us through.

Ben Kurz is a bivocational pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Lake City, Florida and can be reached at pastorben@gmx.com