Ex-Pastor Turned BARTENDER Because of THIS
Summary
TLDRThe video script discusses the challenges of pursuing theological education and its practical application in the church context. It features a man with a Bachelor's in Theology and a Master's in Divinity, who now works as a bartender. The conversation explores the potential cultural issues within the church that may push for more theological education without a corresponding demand for such expertise. It raises questions about the value of these degrees and whether they are better suited for roles outside traditional ministry, such as online ministry or authorship. The dialogue also touches on the difficulties pastors face, including the stress of constant availability, the politics within churches, and the expectations placed on them.
Takeaways
- 📚 The speaker advocates for theological training and the importance of solid doctrine and teaching in religious education.
- 🎓 The issue arises when individuals invest heavily in theological education but find no practical application for their degrees, raising questions about the cultural emphasis on theological education within the church.
- 💼 There may be a mismatch between the number of people trained in theology and the actual demand for their expertise, suggesting that alternative career paths outside of traditional church roles might be more suitable.
- 🤔 The speaker ponders whether the pursuit of advanced theological degrees is a result of poor planning or simply going along with societal pressures without considering the practical implications.
- 🔮 The discussion includes the idea of using theological education for online ministry, authorship, or other non-traditional church roles as potential solutions to the underutilization of theological degrees.
- 👨🍳 The transcript features a story of a highly educated individual working as a bartender, highlighting the disconnect between academic achievement and practical career outcomes.
- 🗣️ The speaker shares personal insights into the challenges of being a pastor, including the difficulty of maintaining friendships within the church and the high expectations placed on pastors.
- 🏠 The video mentions the financial struggles of pastors, especially in areas with high living costs, and questions the sustainability of full-time ministry on typical church salaries.
- 💬 The script touches on the politics and power dynamics within churches, where pastors may not have as much authority as commonly believed, and where influential church members can exert significant control.
- 🤝 The importance of pastors having support and accountability from other pastors or religious figures outside their local church is emphasized for maintaining personal and professional health.
- 💰 The discussion points out the tax benefits available to pastors, such as the housing allowance, which can significantly reduce their taxable income.
Q & A
Why does the speaker support theological education and growth in wisdom of the Lord?
-The speaker supports theological education and growth in wisdom because they believe it is important for people to become more solid in their theology, doctrine, and teaching.
What issue is raised regarding individuals who obtain theological degrees but do not use them?
-The issue raised is whether the pursuit of theological degrees is indicative of a cultural issue within the church that pushes for more education when there may not be a demand for such expertise.
What alternative career paths are suggested for someone with a theological degree who is not using it in a traditional church setting?
-Alternative career paths suggested include building an online ministry, becoming an author, or working in a non-local church context.
What is the main concern about the individual featured in the video, who has a Bachelor's in Theology and a Master's in Divinity but works as a bartender?
-The main concern is whether this situation is due to poor foresight, planning, or if the individual was influenced by a system that pushed for higher education without considering the practical application or demand for such qualifications.
What are some of the challenges faced by pastors that are discussed in the script?
-Challenges include the high stress and demanding nature of the job, the difficulty of maintaining friendships within the church, the politics involved in church management, and the pressure from congregation members.
Why might someone with a theological degree choose not to pursue a career as a pastor?
-Reasons may include the realization that the pastoral role is more difficult and politically complex than anticipated, the desire for a more balanced life, or the lack of financial compensation that meets their needs.
What is the speaker's opinion on the importance of having relationships with other pastors or oversight for a pastor's health and well-being?
-The speaker believes it is crucial for pastors to have relationships with others in the same field for accountability, support, and to ensure they are healthy and doing well.
What is the potential downside of being a pastor, as described in the script?
-The potential downside includes the constant scrutiny and expectations from congregation members, the inability to have true friends within the church, and the political pressures that come with the role.
How does the script address the financial aspect of being a pastor?
-The script discusses the financial challenges pastors may face, such as low salaries that do not align with the cost of living, especially in areas like California, and the potential benefits like housing allowances that are non-taxed.
What advice does the speaker give for someone considering theological education and a career in ministry?
-The advice given is to seek out and talk to individuals already in the field to gain insight and understand the realities of the job before committing to the educational path and potential student loans.
Outlines
🎓 The Paradox of Theological Education and Practical Application
The speaker begins by expressing support for theological training and the importance of solid doctrine and teaching. However, they raise a concern about individuals who invest heavily in theological education but do not apply their degrees in practical ministry, questioning if this is due to a cultural issue within the church that emphasizes education over practical demand. The discussion is prompted by a viral video featuring a highly educated bartender who, despite his degrees, is not using them in his current profession. The speaker ponders whether the individual's situation is a result of poor planning or being swept up in an educational system that may not align with real-world opportunities.
🤔 The Challenges and Realities of Pastoral Ministry
In this paragraph, the speaker delves into the difficulties of being a pastor, highlighting the constant demands, the stress, and the complex interpersonal dynamics within a church community. They discuss the expectations placed on pastors to be available for every event and the emotional toll of dealing with people who may not always have the pastor's best interests at heart. The speaker also touches on the political aspects of church work, where pastors may feel they have many 'bosses' due to the opinions and demands of congregation members. The paragraph emphasizes that being a pastor is not just about academic knowledge but also requires a shepherd's heart and the ability to connect with people on a deeper level.
💼 The Dilemma of Ministry Workforce and Financial Sustainability
The speaker continues the conversation by discussing the financial challenges faced by those in ministry, especially in areas with high costs of living like California. They mention the discrepancy between the cost of living and the typical salaries offered to pastors, which may not be sufficient to afford a home or maintain a comfortable lifestyle. The paragraph explores the idea that the church culture may need to change regarding compensation to attract and retain qualified individuals in ministry roles. Additionally, the speaker points out the tax benefits available to pastors, such as the housing allowance, which can significantly reduce their tax burden and may be a factor in considering ministry work.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Theology
💡Divinity
💡Ministry
💡Pastor
💡Bartending
💡Education
💡Cultural Issue
💡Online Ministry
💡Author
💡Expectations
💡Financial Independence
Highlights
The importance of theological training and the potential disconnect when such education is not applied in practice.
Discussion on the cultural issue within the church that may push for more theology education than there is demand for.
The dilemma of having a theology degree and finding it not directly applicable in a local church context.
The exploration of alternative uses for theological education, such as online ministry or authorship.
The story of a highly educated individual working as a bartender, sparking a conversation on the utility of theology degrees.
The reality of being a pastor, including the stress and challenges that come with the role.
The difficulty of maintaining friendships within the church as a pastor due to high standards and expectations.
The need for pastors to have relationships and accountability outside of their local church.
The comparison between the role of a pastor and the expectations placed upon them versus other professional roles.
The politics involved in church work and the impact of having many 'bosses' in a congregation.
The financial challenges faced by pastors, especially in areas with high living costs.
The potential for using theological education in non-traditional ministry roles, such as podcasting or social media.
The advice to experience a profession before committing to the education and financial investment.
The discussion on the expectations and pressures of being a pastor and the reality of church politics.
The importance of self-care and the need for pastors to take vacations and maintain a work-life balance.
The commentary on the power dynamics within small churches and the influence of wealthy families.
The reflection on the role of a pastor as a servant leader and the expectations of obedience from church members.
The closing thoughts on the necessity for more outlets for ministry and the potential for alternative career paths for theology graduates.
Transcripts
I am all for you getting theologically
trained I'm all for people growing in
the wisdom of the Lord I'm all for
people becoming more solid in their
Theology and their Doctrine and their
teaching I think all those things are
super important however what happens
when someone gets equipped in these
things and then all of a sudden they
don't put to use the very degree that
they spent tens or perhaps hundreds of
thousands to get is this indicative of a
cultural issue within Church of pushing
more and
more education towards theology when in
reality there's just not that much
demand out there for folks with this set
of expertise is this better suited
outside of a local church context like
perhaps building an online Ministry
becoming an author um this is what we're
going to be discussing today this was
sent by my guy Ray Rock and this
gentleman here is extremely smart
extremely educated and unfortunately is
not using his degree okay so uh he is a
bartender and uh play this video for us
no no don't play the sound because it's
copyrighted music
did I use my degree right Christian
Academy High honors most outstanding
student award this went crazy viral has
half a million views on Instagram go
ahead it's crazy bachelors in theology
Masters in Divinity
bartender oh
man wow Christian Academy bachelor in
theologies Masters in Divinity he's a
bartender this gentleman great student
crushed it got good grades and
unfortunately uh you know he's like
doing a New York City nightlife thing
you know he's he's out here he's a
bartender he uh he's hanging out with
people and uh he got all all these
degrees you know reminds me of the Kanye
West College Dropout albums I got
degrees upon upon degrees and more
degrees and he's not putting it to use
okay so is this a is this an issue of
poor foresight poor planning or that he
just gets sucked into a system
that pushed all these degrees on him and
he just kind of went with the flow and
then before he knew it he woke up he's
in his mid 20s got all these degrees and
there's no utility to them I mean the
only the only reason I would go with
poor foresight for this is this dude got
a a a masters in Divinity like that's
not necessarily your traditional College
trajectory you know what I'm saying like
I'm going become a pastor but I guess he
did go to uh Christian School so that
that makes a little bit more
indoctrination nature
yeah so he someone someone responded to
this and said OMG Pastor to bartender
pipeline should be studied should listen
to us yeah play this blew up I had no
idea that I was going to do like that
big uh so I guess I might as well
address some things is he Drop Shipping
now cuz he's giving me major drop
shipper energy not his Instagram's not
that big I'm on vacation comments that I
stop being a Christian no I didn't stop
being a Christian um I still believe in
God wholeheartedly made stop I mean
number one like being a pastor you think
it's going to be easy job but it's one
of the most difficult jobs there are
it's one of the most stress inducing
this like this was reality for me uh it
was that I was working every day I'm on
the clock 24/7 and then I have to spend
every weekend with people that either I
don't like or people that hate me it's
like yo that's funny he that people I
don't like or people that hate me
wow this dude is just hey he's keeping a
way too real right this is when keeping
a real goes wrong he's in some island
off of off of his bartending money cuz
he's probably making good money
bartending oh yeah he's like here's what
pastors don't want to tell you yeah
you're in New York City you know you
he's he's out here he's halfway
goodlooking decent looking guy in decent
shape he's probably crushing it on a
bartending yeah got good style you know
a good aesthetic on his Instagram yeah
keep going you can't necessarily have
friends in the church a lot of the times
you have brothers in the church you have
people that you could like talk to but
you can't rely on them as a pastor you
can rely on them when you're a small
group leader you could rely on them when
you're an elder a deacon any other job
you're able to maintain certain levels
of friendship but as a pastor you're
held to such a high standard that if you
say something or believe something or
teach something that somebody in the
church does not agree with they will go
and get a group of people and rally
against you and but but the issue is you
need to have relationships as a pastor
with other pastors and other oversight
and other accountability outside of your
local church to make sure that you're
healthy and you're doing well yes so
he's right he's right in that sense but
that's why pastors need pastors yeah
that's also why being a pastor isn't
just uh isn't just a degree it's not a
masters and Divinity that's right it's
not just head knowledge that's right
there's life experience there's uh
personality Shepherd's Heart Shepherd's
Heart Like ability to actually connect
with people and want to connect with
people y um so yeah if you're if you're
more of a studious person why smart but
like you're like I don't want to talk to
these people yep not a pastor yep and I
hope he didn't go into debt to get all
these degrees man I would hope that his
parents had some funds for him or
something because that that would be
super tragic study the Bible for free
yeah go ahead fired not just that it's
like not only are you on the clock you
have to remember every birthday you have
to go to every funeral every every
baptism every baby dedication have the
program on you are the pastor so you
kind of got to be there for the baptism
and the
baby you are the baby dedication hold on
hold on you lost me there that relies on
you yeah I don't know about remembering
every birthday yeah I know I mean yeah
if you're going to be solid it's it's
helpful yeah automate it with some
software have people to counsel
constantly it's it was just so much work
just that you don't even know who you
could truly trust at the end of the day
cuz there are people that you consider
best friends and people that could open
up with and imagine opening up one of
like some difficult things you're
growing with and eventually they talk
crap about you and it gets around and as
the pastor you shouldn't be going
through quote unquote struggles you
shouldn't be going through these things
and another thing that sucks about
working for churches is the politics
it's all politics I think you're only
working for one boss no you're not
people think oh you're only working for
God that's not necessar true you're
working you have a thousand bosses a
thousand bosses because it's everybody
everybody in church is your boss I mean
listen that's no different than being an
entrepreneur every entrepreneur has to
answer to their people yeah you got to
answer to your constituents if you're a
politician you got to answer your
constituents if you're an entrepreneur
you got to answer to your customers so
instead of having one boss that tells
you what to do you got thousands of
bosses that are like we don't like this
we like that make it this way why not
this why not that and so it's it's the
same thing that listen you don't get out
this the only way you get out of ever
having to like be anywhere or do
anything is to like build so much
independent wealth that you can live off
the interest of your Investments yeah
yeah yeah there's no there's no product
that you got to fulfill on anymore
you're just like chilling off a back end
and and then we're talking we're talking
to to really get there and and me and
samaj went down this Rabbit Hole the
other day the fire movement financially
independent uh what is it financially
independent retire early but you're
talking about folks that got millions in
in retirement and then are living off
the interest and that's the only way to
get there like you got to have enough
assets that passively support your
lifestyle and then you don't really got
to answer to anybody for any you could
do whatever you want to do but
everything comes responsibility you got
to answer to somebody so do you want one
bosses you want a thousand bosses you
got to get those Millions somehow right
you got to get if that's the objective
but I'm not saying that should be the
objective I'm saying if that's the
objective I posted like a video of me
going to Disneyland cuz number one I
used to work I used to work in
California and some people be like
Pastor are we paying you too much so
imagine you decide to like take a break
for yourself in the moment that you
decide to have a little bit of fun post
it on your Instagram story and then
immediately they're like are we paying
you too much like you're not all to have
fun without being guilted for it you're
that's crazy that sucks that sucks that
sucks he said forget that yeah I'm g go
I'm gonna go serve the party scene yeah
I'm so I'm so happy like when our pastor
takes vacations and is like consistent
no one B that he no one BS an eye
actually for as far as we know as far as
we know shout out Pastor Jeff man Rhythm
Church consistently prioritizes his
family goes on vacation make sure that
he's refreshed and and I think that's
healthy and I think we need more of that
imagine being worried about paying your
pastor too much and not being worried
about creating an environment in which
your pastor can Thrive and not have a
moral failure hello come on like take
your take yourba go go please go take
care of yourself please go go take care
of yourself take care of your family
love your family get out of here for
real yeah go ahead and play some for
even living life expect from a pastor is
you being like a skullery maid that's
chained to like a basement or something
that's a slave to everybody they to be a
servant leader but the issue is a lot of
church members have an expectation of
you being a slave leader mean you have
to go and listen and be obedient to
every single whim of every me no matter
how wrong they are the worst Parts is
the people that have the money are
sometimes the most powerful especially
in small churches it's those big
families in the small churches that help
set things up from the beginning they're
the ones that have the true power jez
and pastors not necessarily don't always
have the most power in church that's
true I guess contrary to popular belief
we really don't right that's good let's
look at somebody these comments his name
was yeah he was he had a
this brother man hey man you know he was
bringing that up to random customers at
the bar he's like did you know that
being a bar being a pastor is not as
easy at look all right well let's see
com so uh dizzy disciple who I I follow
on Instagram he said so you thought
being a pastor would be cool and decided
to not to get degrees to make it happen
once you found out it's not as easy as
uh not as easy you bounced I'm not
hating I'm actually glad you're not in
the pull pit more fake Pastor more fake
fake pastors ouch should do that uh what
are the comments to this did he respond
anybody respond to to dizzy definitely
but being a pastor is definitely a
calling yeah I mean being a pastor is a
calling and it's not one that's that's
easy but that doesn't mean that his
gripes aren't legitimate those are very
legitimate gripes that he pointed out
you know what I mean unless you are a
pastor it is almost impossible to
understand what he's describing that's
that's fair yes pastor called by God yes
we can only do the work of the Holy
Spirit but we have a corrupted broken
human system that is more often than not
controlled by powerful individuals who
may not be truly serving God do you quit
it like a regular job like that's funny
let religious people hey you know listen
that's a great wave um perhaps to this
dude for still being a Christian and
walking with Jesus and and leaning into
his faith and sharing this sort of stuff
I I wish and I believe there will be
more outlets for people who are
passionate about Ministry that can do
things like podcast YouTube social media
write books create uh systems and
courses for people hopefully that's
that's that's a future seems to be like
there's more Outlets you know I don't
know how uh scalable that is but there
seems to be like there's a lot of people
out here that could do a lot of good
with their education and and maybe that
channels him or someone like him to
hopefully do something different than
just be a regular Pastor if you will I
will say from a career career trajectory
standpoint very valuable lesson really
easy to go talk to a pastor before you
do the whole yes Masters in Divinity
whole thing like that like in general if
you want to become an electrician go
hang out with an electrician go find one
plumber same thing uh Wall Street go
find one Whatever It Is go find one talk
to him figure out if you even like that
idea before you go down the the the path
of degrees and yeah student loans that's
right 100 100% spot on okay shout out to
Javier said can you be in full-time
Ministry in 2024 it cost like 120 150k
to own a home in Cali most Church staff
I've seen they pay like 5 to 6K a month
for assistant pastors I don't know a
person who lives uh who lives from that
yeah so yeah I mean to to own enough to
have a home in Southern California you
would have to be a lead Pastor there's
just no other way around it I think
you're right um and the unfortunate part
is then you attract a lot of people that
are using the ministry position as a
stepping stone to eventually become lead
pastors so then does the position does
the culture have to change where we pay
pastors more the flip side to that is is
that weird where you have a church where
multiple pastors are earning in the
hundreds of thousands of dollars so they
can afford to buy home send their kids
to school and the church is all
struggling and making 50 60k a year m
that that that's an individual question
for each congregation and each each
Church culture you know what I mean yeah
I mean and also like dual income
households so if you're if one spouse is
working at the church one's probably not
you know and then uh non not taxed so
there's that that is true so that is the
part that people forget is that pastors
can claim up up to 50% of their income
as a housing allowance and that is
completely non- taxed so there is there
is the possibility um for in most cases
that means you're not paying anything
only yes because then you're so if
you're so let's just say you're making
100 Grand a year as a pastor only 50,000
of that is getting tax when you factor
in the dependence to kids so on and so
forth that you're not making you're not
paying any taxes at all basically right
or you're not paying any income taxes so
so that is that is a perk and when I was
on staff at a church I got that perk
even though I technically wasn't
ordained as a pastor and they took it
away and that's when you quit and they
took it away and that's when I quit CU
I'm like wait a minute what are we doing
what we doing that was like the I'll
take less money because I get this
incentive to be CL gy hey thank you so
much for checking out the video comment
down below and let me know what you
think and be sure to check out this
video that YouTube is recommending just
for you let me know if they nailed it
all right I'll see you over there peace
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