When Church Growth Breaks Down: Paul Dazet on Cancer, Burnout, and Rethinking Success (Part 1) | PT 126

What if success in ministry is what’s breaking you?

In Part 1 of this compelling conversation, Paul Dazet joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to reflect on his unexpected path to faith, his climb through the ranks of church leadership, and the moment it all came undone. From a picnic table conversion to the painful fallout of cancer and burnout, Paul shares what it took to stop pretending—and start pastoring with honesty.

🎙️ In This Episode:

• Why Paul faked his first altar call—and what finally made it real
• The pressure to perform in a results-driven church culture
• How cancer forced him to reexamine his identity and calling
• Leaving the “dream church” to shepherd a smaller, healthier community

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome & Paul’s early background

03:00 – Growing up unchurched and marrying a pastor’s daughter

06:00 – Faking a conversion to impress others

09:00 – Real surrender on a roadside picnic table

12:00 – Falling in love with Scripture and community

16:00 – The business mindset in church leadership

20:00 – Ministry growth, cancer diagnosis, and burnout

25:00 – The personal toll of unresolved pain

28:00 – Leaving behind platform for presence

💡 Takeaway:

Paul’s story is a mirror for every pastor who has felt the gap between ministry success and soul health. Sometimes healing begins not in doing more—but in finally being honest about what’s breaking.