1.
“I am an ordained female, Christian clergy member, and there are several misconceptions about my job. At the top of that list is that I only work Sundays, write sermons, and do weddings, funerals, and baptisms. Another misconception is that I am supposed to ‘act’ and look a certain way, or that I’m going to try to convert you. On average, I work 60 hours a week, get one day off a week, and get paid just over $20,000 a year. I’m required to have a graduate-level education with extensive training in Greek and Hebrew, but also highly intense pastoral care training. I get phone calls at all hours to go see someone who is dying or someone in a crisis — some of those crisis situations can involve self-harm, domestic abuse, assault, addictions. You name it, I’ve seen it. Even on our day off, we are often thinking about work-related stuff because our to-do list is never-ending, including our commitment to ongoing study.”
“Another misconception is that we just sit around sipping tea and eating cake through the week while visiting your gran, or sit on some ‘heavenly cloud’ in contemplation. I wish! Twelve of my working hours a week are spent just on admin and meetings. The rest of my time is spent on meetings, training, research, community engagement, professional development, working with social agencies, social justice projects, and more. Sermons are well researched and thought out, but not committed to paper until Saturday or Sunday morning because I run out of time in the week.
“And as far as how I look and act: I have a nose piercing, had a pink-and-black faux hawk for ages, drive a motorcycle, wear makeup, and like my music loud. IDGAF if I don’t meet someone else’s expectations of how a minister should look because I am professional, caring, and hardworking, and I take my responsibilities seriously. I wish people knew that most clergy members are normal people who are overeducated and just want to change the world for the better.
*The above is an overview of our work pre-COVID. Our work doubled in responsibilities and intensity from 2020 until now!*
—Anonymous
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahdobro/common-misconceptions-about-jobs
