Editor’s note: This is the second in a three-part series on suicide, pastoral burnout, and pastoral termination. On Oct. 9, in light of high rates of suicide and forced terminations among South Carolina pastors, the Executive Board of the South Carolina Baptist Convention created a special committee to research causes contributing to negative health among pastors and to explore ways to help. (To read the other articles in this series, click here.)
Many pastors do not recognize it in themselves. Some try to spiritualize it, while others attempt to deny it or ignore it. It is pastoral burnout, and it is a growing phenomenon among vocational ministers today.
More than half of all pastors, under the weight of expectations – both real and perceived – are discouraged and would leave the ministry if they could, some experts say.Burnout is a term to describe the emotional and/or physical exhaustion or fatigue that people in caring professions can experience. Apathy and detachment are two prominent symptoms. This condition may be the chief reason most pastors quit or leave the ministry.
Stress and burnout are not the same, although stress is present when there is burnout. Burnout has been described by many different words: lack of motivation, low energy, anguish, anger, worry, bewilderment, fear and alienation.
Some Christians believe that people who serve Jesus in ministry should never burn out. That attitude, however, fails to take into account the fact that we are all humans who live in a world that is still under the curse of sin, which affects everything and everybody. There are no perfect people, institutions, relationships or ministries. Our sanctification is not instant but progressive. We most often struggle as we grow. Along the way, any servant of God can be prone to various difficulties.
Why are our ministers feeling burnout at a growing pace today? Loneliness is one factor. A pastor is less likely to have a close friend than any other person in the community. Some people go into the ministry with a need to be needed. When this happens, it is a perfect storm for burnout. There will always be needs greater than one person’s ability to meet them. An absence of healthy boundaries is another reason behind burnout. The disparity between expectations and reality can create significant stress, which contributes to burnout. Many congregations expect too much from their pastors, while many pastors place expectations on themselves that they cannot meet.
Pastors can feel incompetent about leading volunteers or lack confidence regarding their role as a leader. Many do not have a confidant or accountability partner who can be a source of help, relief and comfort to them.
In September, Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, noted that at least 55 percent of pastors are discouraged. The discouragement was not related to the location or the size of the church or the educational level of the pastor. He also reported that younger pastors are more likely to be discouraged than older ones.
In his book, “Pastors at Greater Risk,” H.B. London observed that 57 percent of pastors would “leave the pastorate if they had somewhere else to go or another way to make a living.” About 94 percent felt under constant pressure to have a perfect family, while more than 90 percent were working more than 50 hours a week with the realization that their work is never done and the expectations never end.
Monty Hale, pastoral ministries director of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, said the “biggest threat to pastoral effectiveness and health in our churches has to do with power structures. Every church seems to have a church boss or a church bully who determines when things happen or do not happen in a church. They are the ones who determine whether the pastor’s leadership will be followed or ignored.” Hale pointed out that pastors’ families are often attacked, creating even more stress on the pastor.
“Among our churches, there is a lot of discontentment,” Hale said. “It is at an all-time high.”
In “Today’s Pastor,” George Barna cited some insightful statistics:
– 24 percent of the American population is over 50 years old, but 51 percent of church attenders are over 50.
– Pastors, as a group, are among the most educated and lowest paid.
– 53 percent of pastors believe the church is having little positive impact on the world around them.
– 60 percent of pastors said that church ministry had negatively impacted their passion for church work.
Robin Swift, of the Clergy Health Initiative at Duke Divinity School, has reported in her research that pastors of churches with attendance of 50-100 experienced the highest level of stress. The increasing lack of respect for pastors was a big contributor to stress. Another was the attitude of church members to be served by the pastor instead of serving.
Some of the traits that contribute to burnout among ministers are the pressure to succeed, being insensitive or overly sensitive (vulnerable to criticism), feeling victimized, feeling guilty, and being inflexible.
Paul Vitello, religion reporter for the New York Times, stated in 2010 that “clergy burnout seems to be a professional hazard in the last decade or so.”
Christian psychologist Archibald Hart has written, “Burnout is a defense characterized by disengagement (emotional withdrawal). Emotional damage is evident in burnout. The exhaustion of burnout affects motivation and drive. Burnout leads to feelings of grief. It may not kill you, but your life may not seem worth living.”
Burnout is taking its toll physically on ministers, as the health of pastors is typically not as good as the congregations they serve. Obesity rates among pastors are about 10 percent higher than their congregations.
Can burnout be avoided? Rainer, Hart, London and others believe it can. Some of the key ways include staying fresh spiritually and remembering one’s call; taking time off to relax and refresh through vacations and hobbies; eating healthy, exercising and getting seven or more hours of sleep each night; having a support group or accountability partner and sharing personal burdens with them; growing in the Word and maintaining a daily prayer life; and living as a lifelong learner (disciple of Jesus).
Swift says church members can help their pastors avoid burnout by encouraging the pastor to take a vacation, voicing support every chance they have, and sharing the ministry workload.
Another positive move by congregations is to be sure the pastor is given a sabbatical every five years or so (which would mean the pastor’s tenure is longer than the current average of 3.6 years). The sabbatical can include study, travel, or time to recharge. It should be long enough to be more than a vacation – three weeks or more. The church would continue the pastor’s compensation and pay for all the expenses involved in the sabbatical.
Personal time in the Word is essential in the prevention of burnout. This time is different from the study time most pastors spend in the preparation of sermons and Bible studies. Feeling the sting of criticism is one of the factors most often mentioned in burnout. Rainer suggests pastors pray for their critics and then wait at least a day before responding to the criticism.
Working at improving one’s attitude is a major discipline in reducing the symptoms of burnout. Perspective is significant in how a person interprets something. When anything happens to us, we respond based on our interpretation of what happened rather than what actually happened. Talking things over with a trusted friend can help a pastor examine and adjust his attitude and adopt more realistic expectations.
Pastoral burnout is growing in our culture. Pastors are human beings who need rest, acceptance and help. When they are faithful servants of Christ, they deserve respect from their church members. They cannot be all things to all people, but they can use their gifts and talents in ministry to people. There is blessing in that for both the pastor and those who are blessed by the ministry of Christ through him.
In John 16:33, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
Stress cannot be avoided, but it can be successfully managed. Burnout does not have to happen. Pastors and church staff members need encouragement and support. Congregations can give it. Realistic expectations can help. A genuine and personal relationship with Christ is the foundation for it all.