A Year After COVID-19, Pastors Reflect on Lessons Learned

Nearly a year after the official end of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, pastors are looking back on the lessons they learned.

By Tobin Perry

Pastors in 2020 did many things they never thought they would. They preached to empty rooms, became overnight tech experts, hosted drive-in worship services, and led online small groups. The pandemic ushered church leaders into uncharted territories as they navigated pastoral care from a distance and dealt with the complex needs of their congregations during a time of dramatic global uncertainty.

But at the top of the list of things pastors did in 2020 that they never thought they’d do is cancel in-person worship services.

Herschel York remembers joking with a reporter about the improbability of canceling worship services at the church he pastored, Buck Run Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, just a few days before every church in the country was calling off public worship services.

“I said when they cancel the NCAA Tournament and the Kentucky Sweet 16, then call me back,” York said.

By the end of the week, the NCAA had canceled their tournament. For the first time in a century, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association did the same. And York had canceled the services at Buck Run Baptist Church, not holding another until the first Sunday in May when the congregation met outside.

COVID’s impact on pastors and churches

York’s experience mirrors that of church leaders across the country. Now, nearly a year after the government concluded the public health emergency in the United States, pastors are looking back on the lessons they learned during one of the most unusual ministry experiences of the past century.

According to a 2021 LifeWay Research study, the percentage of pastors who felt overwhelmed in pastoral ministry increased by nine points from 2015 to 2021 (54% to 63%), even though fewer pastors believed they had to be available 24/7.

The percentage of pastors who felt overwhelmed in pastoral ministry increased by nine points from 2015 to 2021 (54% to 63%). Share on X

The same study noted a statistically insignificant percentage of pastors leaving ministry during the first year and a half of the pandemic, despite the well-worn narrative that suggested the opposite. A Hartford Institute for Religion Research study showed that over three-quarters of pastors never questioned their ministry calling during the pandemic.

Navigating rapid change

James Murray, pastor of Centerville Baptist Church in Kelly, North Carolina, remembers a period of ministry marked by frequently changing plans. As state and federal guidelines changed—along with hospital protocols—Murray had to adjust.

“I’ll never forget that first time they started allowing clergy back into the hospital,” Murray said. “I was so thankful to be able to go see somebody who was having a surgery again.”

Bobby Pell, who planted Northwoods Church in Evansville, Indiana, in 2002, echoed Murray’s sentiments about the fluctuating conditions during COVID-19.

“One of our greatest challenges was decision-making. We’d have staff meetings on Monday morning, set our course, only to find government guidelines changing within days, rendering our decisions obsolete—particularly in those initial six weeks. This forced us to streamline our decision-making process. It felt like we were playing chess. And I quickly realized I was far from a grandmaster in navigating these unpredictable changes.”

Like most pastors, Pell had to learn to preach to a nearly empty room. The experience showed him how much he’d depended upon the feedback of the congregation during his sermons. Before, he could see from the congregation’s response how much they liked the sermon. Now he had only a computer screen to judge his effectiveness.

“I believe this experience helped my preaching in the long term,” Pell said. “It made me realize, ultimately, God’s Word is sufficient, whether the congregation is giving positive or negative feedback. Understanding this helped me rely more on the sufficiency of Scripture.”

The pandemic helped Bobby Pell realize “God’s Word is sufficient, whether the congregation is giving positive or negative feedback. Understanding this helped me rely more on the sufficiency of Scripture.” Share on X

During COVID, Pell began listening to five to 15 sermons a week, a practice he has continued. As he listened to more sermons, he consciously shortened his own messages, realizing how difficult it can be to pay attention to longer ones.

Advice for future pastors

While the once-in-a-lifetime confluence of events in 2020 (a global pandemic, major racial stress, and a controversial presidential election) seems unlikely to repeat together in the near future, York believes churches must be ready for significant, ministry-altering events to happen again in the coming years. It’s critical, he believes, for churches to have a game plan for what to do. Central to that plan is a strong emphasis on worship and preaching. Everything else must be secondary.

“Whatever else we have to cut, we’re not going to cut that,” said York, who retired in January after pastoring Buck Run Baptist for 21 years and now serves as the dean of the school of theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. “We’ll do whatever it takes to continue that, even if we have to do it virtually.”

Pell and Murray urge future pastors encountering something like the COVID pandemic to lean on the support of other pastors and ministry leaders.

Murray says other local pastors provided critical support during this period. They often bounced ideas off of one another and leaned on the wisdom of one another.

“Don’t face ministry alone, pandemic or not. The isolation brought on by the pandemic underscores this even more,” Murray said. “Maintain open communication with your church leaders and lean on fellow pastors, especially those who’ve navigated similar challenges. It’s crucial not to navigate these times in isolation.”

As unlikely as the events of 2020 may have been, churches must be ready for significant, ministry-altering events to happen again in the coming years, says @hershaelyork. Share on X

Pell says one ministry colleague was particularly helpful to him during this period.

“The conversation was so helpful because he was thinking about things I should have been thinking about and visa-versa,” Pell said. “It only happened when you put us in the room together. I found that invaluable.”

Ministry shifts during COVID

Like many ministry leaders, Pell notes some who attended Northwoods before COVID never returned after the restrictions were lifted. Of the church’s 500 pre-pandemic regular attendees, about 100 didn’t return. COVID particularly impacted the church’s small group ministry.

Once Pell and other Northwoods leaders came to grips with these changes, they shifted their strategy. Recognizing the value of small group ministry, they organized Sunday night gatherings twice a month on the church grounds, where everyone comes together for a meal and participates in both large and small group activities. Today, the church’s small group participation is higher than it was pre-pandemic.

“The pandemic showed me that ministry is full of fault lines, many of which I’m not initially aware of. It has taught me the importance of being open to change,” Pell said. “Adapting is crucial for overcoming challenges like a pandemic or any significant crisis.”

Murray noted both positive and negative post-pandemic ramifications for his church. Like Pell, he notes that many people never returned to church after the pandemic. But, he says, the pandemic also created a strong desire in many to gather for worship and find renewal.

“I remember that first gathering we had outdoors; we were threatened by rain, yet people still came,” Murray said. “Everyone was there, so excited to see one another. It created a renewed desire for many folks to gather. I think anytime you go through difficulties together with your leadership, it’s going to strengthen those bonds. It really helped strengthen the relationships I had with our leaders in our church and with some other pastors as we went through these things together. So, while it might have put a strain on a lot of relationships, it strengthened a lot of others by knowing that we’ve navigated this stuff together.”

For permission to republish this article, contact Marissa Postell Sullivan.