
I remember lying in bed one morning thinking, “There is just no way that I can get out of bed and go to work. I am done. I am just staying here. I can’t do it anymore.” Along with these thoughts were my general fatigue, inability to focus, and impatience with everyone around me. Like so many other pastors, I had “hit the wall” and was experiencing burnout.
We’ve all seen it. A 2006 study by the Schaefer Institute of Church Leadership Development found that 100% of pastors had seen colleagues experiencing burnout, and almost 50% of pastors have experienced it themselves. Like a jet engine that has just run out of fuel, humans can be burned out, depleted, incapable of functioning at our best. And, from what I have seen and experienced after talking to dozens of pastors over the last year, many of us are seeing the symptoms now.
Why are pastors at such a risk for burnout? There are many factors and causes, but some of the main culprits are:
- Personality – Many of us were originally drawn to the ministry because of our desire to help others. We want to share our faith and help people find joy and hope in Christ. We want to help alleviate the suffering in the world, on both individual and societal levels. We want to give of ourselves. But because of these desires, we run the risk of working ourselves to the point of exhaustion. We start to see ourselves as the superhero, capable of working 24/7, adequate to meeting every need, and able to single-handedly bring about change, in individuals, in churches and in communities. Sometimes, we even feel guilt if we can’t “do it all” or if we limit ourselves and our ministry.
- Comparisons – The grass is always greener in someone else’s backyard and the congregation is always bigger, or the giving is always more generous, or the volunteers are always more plentiful in someone else’s church. This tendency to compare ourselves is even more pronounced in denominational churches, where we tend to see bigger churches as rewards for our dedication and hard work. Appointive denominational structures multiply the problem, when we see our colleagues getting appointed to bigger, more “successful” churches for seemingly random, or at least somewhat subjective, reasons.
- Expectations – Not only do we put unrealistic expectations on ourselves, and do we feel them from our denominational supervisors, boards and Bishops, but some of the harshest expectations can come from our congregations. Every new pastor is considered to be the one who will transform the church – from beefing up the giving, to baptizing the multitudes, to creating overflowing youth groups, Sunday school classes and sanctuaries. And when a pastor doesn’t live up to these expectations, well, it’s easy to just move on to the next one. There is a lot of pressure to perform.
- Compassion and conflict fatigue – One of the hazards of being in a people-oriented occupation is simply people-oriented problems. Empathy and compassion are some of our strongest pastoral skills, and yet they can be so easily taxed. We want people to come to us with their problems, we are happy sitting at bedsides, or holding grieving hands – but it comes at a price. Throw in inevitable conflict between congregation members, or with the pastor, and it is a surefire recipe for burnout.
Ok, given this bleak assessment of our profession, it’s a wonder that anyone chooses to go into the ministry at all, right? But we know that the rewards are there and that our work is vital, valued, and God-ordained. Our task is to continue to do this work, to minister to the people, while keeping ourselves whole and healthy for years to come.
So what can we do?
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF – If you’ve worked with me before, you have likely heard this like a mantra. We cannot take care of others without first taking care of ourselves. And this might mean something a little different for each of us. But at a minimum, it means self-care, taking time off, spending planned time with friends and family (and remember we all need friends who aren’t part of our congregation!). We all need a Sabbath – any day but Sunday! What was the purpose of the Sabbath that God commanded for Israel? To rest. Specifically, to rest from our work, which means no phone answering, no email returning, no budget balancing, no curriculum or sermon writing. This is so hard to do, but if you can achieve this early in your ministry, it will serve you well over your career.
AWARENESS AND MINDFULNESS – I’m not saying that everyone needs to take up Zen meditation or yoga. In fact, we have one of the best mindfulness traditions going – contemplative prayer. Any practice that involves stillness, silence, focus and concentration can help us battle against the nattering and nagging in our heads. We all know the little voice in our head that tells us that we could be doing more. The best way to silence that voice, our “monkey mind”, is to practice mindfulness and cultivate the ability to shift focus and become aware of the present moment.
TALKING ABOUT IT – We all experience stress. There will always be instances where we fail, or where we feel we could have done better, or opportunities were missed. Anxiety and burnout can creep up on all of us. The best way out is to acknowledge it and talk about it with someone you trust. It can be a friend, a spouse, a counselor or a coach. Find someone who is a good listener and who can help you brainstorm solutions without providing them.
RESTRUCTURE YOUR ROLE – This is the scariest step and the one that I find the greatest pushback against. I like to ask pastors, “What is the one thing that only you can do?” That should be your focus and everything else can become secondary, or delegated, or forgotten. One exercise is to list everything that you do in a week. Then pick the most important 20%. That should be your role. The remaining 80% can be delegated. It sounds drastic, but remember that part of our calling is to help others find their own calling in the church. Maybe there is someone in your congregation that would love to call shut-ins, or deal with maintenance contractors, or lead children’s time. One of the most time-consuming parts of ministry in the past year has been technology – planning, filming and streaming. I bet there is someone in your congregation who knows how to do this better than you – or can learn!
It boils down to this. Pastors are vulnerable to burnout. In the past year, we have all learned what it means to be vulnerable. So what have we learned? We must find ways to reduce our vulnerability. Like social distancing, masking and hand-washing, there are steps we can take, intentionally, to reduce our likelihood of reaching burnout. It is not a one and done kind of thing. Being on our guard against burnout is a career-long discipline. But like Jesus, who found his quiet places, surrounded himself with friends, and focused on the one thing that only he could do, we can create habits and helps to allow us to complete the ministry journey set for us.
“This is no way to go about it. You’ll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you—you can’t do this alone. Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you.” (Exodus 18:17, )