Ronald McCaskill on the New Challenges Faced by Today’s Pastors/Priests
Fort Pierce, Florida (PRWEB) June 10, 2012
A pastor/priest is a servant-leader of the community. He teaches, guides, administers sacraments, and reaches out to community members to bring healing and unity where there is division and despair. He conducts his work through public worships and close relatedness with the people in his community.
Due to a decline in the number of pastors/priests around the nation, today’s pastors/priests are busier than ever. Pastors/priests are expected to do more around their congregations as well as other congregations. Ronald McCaskill, senior pastor at the New Life Christian Centre in Florida, notes that because of the fewer pastors/priests in his community, many turn to him for sermons and guidance.
“I am always happy to help everyone, but it is a challenge to run my own congregation as well as help others,” Ronald McCaskill said.
Today’s pastors/priests face another challenge of maintaining balance between their work life and prayer life. When life in the parish gets too busy, many pastors/priests cut corners in their own prayer life, causing them to long for the God they once “felt” so close to.
Furthermore, Ronald McCaskill notes that times are different and that religion is seen as something that is done in private. People are more likely to turn for help to the community counsellor, social worker or psychologist, rather than to their local priest. Ronald believes that pastors/priests have to work at earning their community members’ trust and show them they too can help.
“It is part of our job – to listen and heal,” Ronald McCaskill said. “We just have to remind people of that.”
Technology has also changed the way pastors/priests operate. Today, entire sermons are available online. There is even a religion channel on TV that offers healing and advice. Ronald McCaskill suggests priests don’t shy away from utilizing technology to help them widen their impact and reach a greater audience. He recently launched an online faith center called My 180 Church.
Ronald McCaskill explained his objective in launching the online church, is to help people experience a turnaround in any area of their lives such as finance, relationships, marriage, and business, etc.
“I realized that because of everyone’s hectic lives, many don’t go to church. But if the church comes to them, in their home – then that is at least something,” McCaskill said.
Ronald McCaskill stresses the importance of not giving up and working hard to serve the community. He suggests pastors/priests become more communicative, prioritize their tasks, delegate their tasks, and collaborate.
“Perhaps our role has slightly changed across the nation, but we are still needed and we need to continue offering our services,” McCaskill said.
In an increasingly globalized society, the pastors/priests in the U.S. face many challenges that include fewer priests, busier schedules, changing times, and the development of technology. For priests to succeed in attracting congregationalists, they must learnt to adapt to society’s new ways and utilize advanced resources to better help them attract a wider audience of community members.
More About Ronald McCaskill
Pastor Ronald McCaskill, a Florida native who currently resides in Fort Pierce, founded the New Life Christian Centre in 1992. Since then he has earned the title of senior pastor and continues to spread the word of good faith and the ability to change. Ronald McCaskill and his wife Linda participate in nationwide speaking tours targeting schools, community centers, faith establishments and businesses. They have been touring the nation and world for over 20 years.
©Copyright 1997-
, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Leave a Reply