John A. Berntsen writing for the Alban Institute:
There’s a commonplace ministry experience I’ve found that many of us don’t want to talk about. Every day we have to do things we’re no good at. Our prospects for improvement are slim, yet we’re rightly called on to do them. Say what you want about our spiritual gifts working harmoniously within the context of a suitably matched ministry. I know of very few such matches that are truly made in heaven. At best, the match is always approximate.
Not every good preacher is skilled at organization. Not every good pastoral caregiver is eloquent in the pulpit. Not every manager who is good at “minding the store” knows why we do what we do, except that it says so on the organizational flow chart. Our gifts differ, and so too do our liabilities and vulnerabilities. Part of the magical thinking that infects call committees and personnel committees is the expectation that the new hire or new call will include all of the strengths of the previous occupant of the position, plus those that were conspicuously absent. At some point, a reality check sobers everybody up. Then authentic and faithful ministry can begin.