Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources recently posted a podcast on issues affecting local church leaders.

In the podcast posted on his website, Rainer underscored 10 issues that pastors deal with on a weekly basis, in an effort to make the faithful understand them better.

Among the main problems that pastors have to deal with, he contends, are church members who treat church attendance as a low priority.

He cited church members who often forego attending church in favour of their children's soccer practice or others who aren't able to wake up in time for church because they attended a football game the night before.

He said people are losing sight of why they joined the church in the first place – because it's what God wants for them - and that they need to think more about what they can give to the faith instead of what they can receive.

Pastors, he said, are also faced with the problem of overly critical members of the church and one even told him about a church member who complained about the style of socks he was wearing. Other times, it's the pastor's family members who are criticised for "not doing enough" for the church. 

The Lifeway founder also lamented the financial situation for most pastors, dispelling the myth that pastors earn too much as those who earn a lot only account for less than 10 percent among thousands in the country.

With this, he urged churchgoers to be more understanding of the various responsibilities of their pastors, and not take for granted their need for time to prepare for sermons, juggle the budget and make sure that churchgoers are engaged in the ministry.