Pastor Burnout

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

(I wasn't quite sure where to put this topic, as it isn't just an issue for SDA pastors, but for clergy in general..)

Pastor Burnout by the Numbers

According to the New York Times (August 1, 2010)

"Members of the clergy now suffer from obesity, hypertension and depression at rates higher than most Americans. In the last decade, their use of antidepressants has risen, while their life expectancy has fallen. Many would change jobs if they could."

13% of active pastors are divorced.

23% have been fired or pressured to resign at least once in their careers.

25% don't know where to turn when they have a family or personal conflict or issue.

25% of pastors' wives see their husband's work schedule as a source of conflict.

33% felt burned out within their first five years of ministry.

33% say that being in ministry is an outright hazard to their family.

40% of pastors and 47% of spouses are suffering from burnout, frantic schedules, and/or unrealistic expectations.

45% of pastors' wives say the greatest danger to them and their family is physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual burnout.

Though I can find no specific statistics (I'm sure they are out there), the pastorate is seeing a significant rise in the number of female pastors.

45% of pastors say that they've experienced depression or burnout to the extent that they needed to take a leave of absence from ministry.

50% feel unable to meet the needs of the job.

52% of pastors say they and their spouses believe that being in pastoral ministry is hazardous to their family's well-being and health.

56% of pastors' wives say that they have no close friends.

57% would leave the pastorate if they had somewhere else to go or some other vocation they could do.

70% don't have any close friends.

75% report severe stress causing anguish, worry, bewilderment, anger, depression, fear, and alienation.

80% of pastors say they have insufficient time with their spouse.

80% believe that pastoral ministry affects their families negatively.

90% feel unqualified or poorly prepared for ministry.

90% work more than 50 hours a week.

94% feel under pressure to have a perfect family.

1,500 pastors leave their ministries each month due to burnout, conflict, or moral failure.

Doctors, lawyers and clergy have the most problems with drug abuse, alcoholism and suicide.

The hardest thing about these numbers is that the numbers only tell half the story. The other half is that congregations don't know or understand the nature of pastoral stress. And when a pastor breaks down or has a moral failure, congregations, for lack of a better word, "kick the pastor to the curb."

And Pastor Burnout is a GREAT internet site for pastors... and anyone else who cares about them...

[Gail]

Right on! I have felt burdened for pastors' fates in the workplace for years- thanks for posting what we have seen time after time.

I wonder how many of them also suffer from member abuse?

[Kevin H]

How true. When I was a Taskforce pastor's assistant during Ingathering I had to work hours and hours, then when Ingathering season was past I'd work a nice 60 hour work week with one day off every other week and a weekend off every other month. And I was lazy compared to the Pastor. They have so much pressure.

[aldona]

What I call "The Great Advent Movement", i.e. the tendency of the .org to move clergy around every few years, is probably making things worse.

No wonder a majority of pastors' spouses say they have no close friends.

How many times have I heard pastors' wives say "I have been a member of 20 churches" or a pastor's child say "I have been to 15 different schools."

That sense of having no roots, not belonging anywhere, would be enough to drive anybody crazy.

AJ

[LifeHiscost]

Thanks much for that post, Rudy. I especially was moved by the web page account revealing the personal experience of one of God's shepherds. I'm going to share this with our pastor who happens to live three hours away from one of the two congregations he happens to pastor, dividing his time between the two when he's not traveling. Who knows when he gets time to spend with his wife?

God cares!

[joeb]

Pastor Burnout, is he a hot rodder?

[JoeMo]

Hey Pam,

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Many don't realize the pressure our pastors are under from both sides of the fence. The bosses want them to increase membership and increase contributions while reducing expenses. Congregations want them to be perfect and do everything. They are human, too; and being a pastor does not necessarily mean being holier than everyone else. Sad to say folks, but being a pastor eventually becomes a "job" for many pastors; and like most of our jobs, it ain't all it's cracked up to be. I would hate to be a pastor. It's a thankless job where, in general, neither your bosses nor your "customers" are ever satisfied with your performance.

[joeb]

Hey Pam,

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Many don't realize the pressure our pastors are under from both sides of the fence. The bosses want them to increase membership and increase contributions while reducing expenses. Congregations want them to be perfect and do everything. They are human, too; and being a pastor does not necessarily mean being holier than everyone else. Sad to say folks, but being a pastor eventually becomes a "job" for many pastors; and like most of our jobs, it ain't all it's cracked up to be. I would hate to be a pastor. It's a thankless job where, in general, neither your bosses nor your "customers" are ever satisfied with your performance.

And here I thought pastors have only one Boss. At least that's how I read scripture, as they are protect/watch_over/feed God's flock, not the church's. Maybe one of the reasons why they get so burned out is because they're trying to please two masters.

[JoeMo]

Quote:

And here I thought pastors have only one Boss.

You're confusing "the way things really are" with "the way things should be". You're right - pastors should only have one boss - the King of kings and Lord of lords. But if a pastor lived like that at the expense of Conference and Union Presidents, he or she would quickly find themselves relying on God and the congregation for a salary rather than the denomination. If it's my church, the pastor ain't gonna get rich (or even secure) fast. Ten families supporting a budget of about $11k per month is not sustainable for very long.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Originally Posted By: JoeMo

Hey Pam,

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Many don't realize the pressure our pastors are under from both sides of the fence. The bosses want them to increase membership and increase contributions while reducing expenses. Congregations want them to be perfect and do everything. They are human, too; and being a pastor does not necessarily mean being holier than everyone else. Sad to say folks, but being a pastor eventually becomes a "job" for many pastors; and like most of our jobs, it ain't all it's cracked up to be. I would hate to be a pastor. It's a thankless job where, in general, neither your bosses nor your "customers" are ever satisfied with your performance.

And here I thought pastors have only one Boss. At least that's how I read scripture, as they are protect/watch_over/feed God's flock, not the church's. Maybe one of the reasons why they get so burned out is because they're trying to please two masters.

last I knew, God didn't have an account at Bank of America, Credit Suisse, Bank of England, or any other bank around the world... Just how would a pastor keep food on his table and provide for his family unless *someone* was paying him a salary??? Their work is basically a thankless, tiring job, and just look at the attitude(s) they have to put up with. This isn't biblical times when one can "glean" from the fields of property owners. And to date, I've not heard of any pastor catching any fish having gold coins in its mouth.

[joeb]

last I knew, God didn't have an account at Bank of America, Credit Suisse, Bank of England, or any other bank around the world... Just how would a pastor keep food on his table and provide for his family unless *someone* was paying him a salary??? Their work is basically a thankless, tiring job, and just look at the attitude(s) they have to put up with. This isn't biblical times when one can "glean" from the fields of property owners. And to date, I've not heard of any pastor catching any fish having gold coins in its mouth.

Last I knew, God owns everything. He has resources beyond what we can even imagine, and yet we can't even begin to see how God could support a pastor. Funny how that is, isn't it? Kinda ironic when Christians don't think God can make sure that a man and his family that are doing His work are taken care of. Seems to me that Jesus said that we are worth much more than sparrows, and God feeds even the sparrows.

Just how much of the Bible do we really believe? Do we really trust in our heavenly Father to take care of our needs, or do we think we must rely on earthly resources, i.e. our own efforts and our earthly employers? If we can't trust Him to take care of our physical well-being, how can we trust Him to take care of our spiritual well-being?

Just food for thought.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Joeb, you are not being realistic, and I think you understand EXACTLY what JoeMo and I have both said.

Do *you* get money directly from God??? No employer? No retirement? No other monies coming in, except DIRECTLY from God? C'mon. Get real.

And thanks for derailing my thread. :(

[joeb]

Joeb, you are not being realistic, and I think you understand EXACTLY what JoeMo and I have both said.

Do *you* get money directly from God??? No employer? No retirement? No other monies coming in, except DIRECTLY from God? C'mon. Get real.

And thanks for derailing my thread.

Ever hear of a man named Elijah? Did he get fed? Who fed and clothed Jesus and His disciples? None of them held jobs for 3 years, yet they didn't go without. Why? Will God do any less for us than what He did for them? Is He not our heavenly Father too?

How realistic is it to trust God? Is it unrealistic to take Him at His word?

I'm not trying to derail your thread. I'm simply pointing out what one of the major causes of burnout is. That cause is a lack of trust in God.

If we're trusting God to take care of us are we really going to be worried about the outcomes of everything in our lives? Do we really lay everything at the feet of Jesus and trust Him to do His share of the work and realize that we as human beings can do only so much in the spiritual realm? Do we trust Him to "take care" of our issues with our bosses when we've done our best?

From what I've seen of a lot of pastors is that they trust more in their "training" and what man can do than they do in what God can do. That goes for we lay people too. We're living in a time when the Bible asks if there will actually be any faith on earth, so do we take that question and apply it to ourselves?

[LifeHiscost]

Quote:

Do we really trust in our heavenly Father to take care of our needs, or do we think we must rely on earthly resources

As a case in point, a couple of months ago, after ascertaining our family only had one loaf of bread remaining that had to last for two weeks, when we came to the last couple of slices and went to the fridge to get something else, we found three loaves of bread identical to the three we had just eaten, acquired at the last payday a week and a half earlier.

When accused of just being forgetful while the class laughed uproariously, it does appear that much of those who believe God works miracles, believe He actually only feeds 5,000 at a time and then only when wandering through a dry desert.

God cares!

[joeb]

Quote:

Do we really trust in our heavenly Father to take care of our needs, or do we think we must rely on earthly resources

As a case in point, a couple of months ago, after ascertaining our family only had one loaf of bread remaining that had to last for two weeks, when we came to the last couple of slices and went to the fridge to get something else, we found three loaves of bread identical to the three we had just eaten, acquired at the last payday a week and a half earlier.

When accused of just being forgetful while the class laughed uproariously, it does appear that much of those who believe God works miracles, believe He actually only feeds 5,000 at a time and then only when wandering through a dry desert.

God cares!

Is that "much of those who believe" or "much of those who say they believe"? There is a difference.

I like your story.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

well, EXCUSE ME for trying to point out that pastors are HUMAN!!!!!!!

**mumbles to self**

"what's the use of trying to hold any sort of communications with self-righteous finger-pointing ninnies?"

[LifeHiscost]

Quote:

Is that "much of those who believe" or "much of those who say they believe"? There is a difference.

As soon as God does the 5,000 again, I'll know better how to answer that question. I presume that won't happen until Jesus comes back to take His kids home.

"There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?"John 14:2 NLT

God cares!

[cricket]

I doubt anyone here can answer this question, but do pastor's wives really want to be close friends with anyone? In my experiences, they tend to be stand-offish and unwilling to befriend anyone.

[Woody]

I doubt anyone here can answer this question, but do pastor's wives really want to be close friends with anyone? In my experiences, they tend to be stand-offish and unwilling to befriend anyone.

A pastor's spouse is damned if they do and damned if they don't. It's that simple. Showing favoritism is rather frowned upon in church circles.

[phkrause]

Well than you've never met Pr Pat Morrison's wife Jane? She doesn't fit that profile. I've only known a few pastors wife's that didn't want to be friends with others.

[cricket]

Being friends with others isn't the same as being close friends with others. Most of the pastor's wives I've met are friendly and kind, but really and truly being a friend--well, that's rare in my experiences. And no, I've never met the pastor's wife you mentioned. Is she a close, personal friend of yours?

[Woody]

Being friends with others isn't the same as being close friends with others. Most of the pastor's wives I've met are friendly and kind, but really and truly being a friend--well, that's rare in my experiences. And no, I've never met the pastor's wife you mentioned. Is she a close, personal friend of yours?

Well Cricket - I hope you get the chance to be a Pastor's Spouse some day. I wish you luck.

[cricket]

I have no desire to be a pastor's spouse.

I simply asked a question. Do pastor's wives really want to be close, personal friends with others? In my personal experience and relationships I've have with pastor's wives, I find that close, personal friendships are few and far between. Your experiences may be different.

It was only a question--not an expression of a desire to be a pastor's spouse. Wherever did you draw that idea?

[joeb]

well, EXCUSE ME for trying to point out that pastors are HUMAN!!!!!!!

**mumbles to self**

"what's the use of trying to hold any sort of communications with self-righteous finger-pointing ninnies?"

rudywoofs,

I agree. Pastors are just as human as the rest of us. That means they are just as subject to the same failings the rest of us are.

If you'll notice I used the word we in all my posts. That means I'm including myself in all my statements. I'm not saying anything about anyone that I'm not saying about myself. How that is self-righteousness I don't know.

Does my faith fail to reach God's standard for us that He sets in the Bible? Yup. It seems to be a very common failing among Christians. Do I get stressed out? Yup. And why? Because I fail to trust God as I should. If I actually gave Him all my cares 100% of the time, and left them with Him, why would I ever get stressed out? I wouldn't. But, I tend to want to take all those issues back and worry about them for myself.

Take kids as an example of what I'm talking about. Why do they, as a rule, have fewer worries than adults? Because they trust their parents to take care of them. Aren't we God's children? Then why don't we really trust Him to take care of us? If we did wouldn't our stress levels be greatly reduced?

My questions aren't meant to be rhetorical questions, but real life questions that affect my life and lives of all Christians who say they trust in God, and that includes pastors.

[Woody]

I have no desire to be a pastor's spouse.

I simply asked a question. Do pastor's wives really want to be close, personal friends with others? In my personal experience and relationships I've have with pastor's wives, I find that close, personal friendships are few and far between. Your experiences may be different.

It was only a question--not an expression of a desire to be a pastor's spouse. Wherever did you draw that idea?

I never said you had the desire. It was MY desire to wish it on you.