Burning, but Not Consumed: Avoiding Pastoral Burnout
“I still love Jesus, but most days I struggle to love the church or even like myself anymore.”
A dear pastor friend shared these words with me several years ago. That experience, which neither of us had much language for at the time, was descriptive of what I would later learn to define, in part, as pastoral burnout.
Pastoral burnout, much like professional burnout, is characterized by pastors experiencing emotional exhaustion, difficulty distinguishing themselves and their needs from their ministry role, and having a poor evaluation of themselves and their effectiveness. In addition to these three general experiences, pastoral burnout often entails the internalization of negative feedback and ministry results, relationally withdrawing from authentic close relationships, and an overall questioning of spiritual calling or experience.
Statistics show that pastoral burnout is on the rise. A 2017 study found that 65 percent of pastors were experiencing burnout in their ministry1, and a more recent study found that 42 percent of pastors were seriously considering leaving full-time ministry altogether due to the various stresses associated with their role (Barna, 2022).
The negative effects of pastoral burnout are not limited to pastors leaving the ministry. Burnout is also correlated with the occurrence of mental health disorders, suicidal ideations, cardiovascular issues, marital and family difficulties, and moral failings. Though this is not descriptive of the experience of all pastors, it is safe to say that many pastors are overwhelmed, lonely, hurting, and discouraged. It is in the best interest of pastors, their families, and the churches who love them to be mindful of, and invest in, their pastor’s overall wellbeing.
“When pastors begin to experience burnout, they often internalize negative experiences, overidentify with poor outcomes, and blame or criticize themselves in the process.”
I am often asked, “So what is a pastor who is struggling to do?” Literature suggests there are several behaviors and dispositions which can help protect against burnout. Proper self-care and attending to one’s basic needs is a good place to start. A great biblical example of this is Elijah. When Elijah was experiencing a great deal of distress because of his fear concerning Jezebel (see 1 Kings 19), God initially attended to him by causing him to rest, drink, eat (and even exercise!).
Healthy self-care can also involve observing spiritual formation practices and receiving Sabbath rest. Often pastors feel pressure to neglect taking care of themselves for the sake of their ministry, but this is both unsustainable and ultimately harmful to themselves, their families, and their churches. I suggest that they are breaking the golden rule not because of their poor treatment of others, but because of the unreasonably poor treatment of themselves. Self-care can also take the form of attending to wellness through participating in personal counseling, mentoring, or spiritual direction. It is healthy and helpful for a pastor to be a recipient of care in addition to a being a distributor of it. I am not suggesting grandiose or lavish luxury. Instead, healthy self-care can look like extending to themselves the same courtesies and graces they would afford to someone else, such as a close friend.
The negative quality of a pastor’s intrapersonal relationship is predictive of the experience of burnout. Here is an exercise you can do right now. Consider, what are you currently telling yourself about yourself, others, the world, and God? A person’s thought life is significant to their overall quality of life. It is quite common for pastors to refer to themselves as their “own worst critic,” and admit that they are “hard on themselves.” While humility is indeed virtuous to the Christian life, internalized insecurity is not. When pastors begin to experience burnout, they often internalize negative experiences, overidentify with poor outcomes, and blame or criticize themselves in the process.
In my experiences working with pastors and their wellbeing, I am far more likely to hear pastors say they do not like themselves rather than to report that they do. On the surface, they might be saying this to not appear prideful. However, this attitude is likely contributing to pride, not preventing it. While this may be counter-intuitive, self-criticism develops more external pride as opposed to avoiding it. When an individual internalizes insecurities, they are more likely to prioritize external performance and achievement to compensate for it. This external compensation can then manifest as pride. On the other hand, the person who is confident, knowing who they are and whose they are, is instead free to be humble. In Philippians 2, Paul describes Jesus as both being fully God, and humbling Himself to the point of death on the cross. Indeed, Jesus was neither insecure or prideful, but rather wholly confident and in turn, humble.
Instead of self-criticism, a protective factor against pastoral burnout is self-compassion. That is, thinking and speaking kindly to yourself about yourself. This is not a foreign concept in Scripture. In Philippians 4, Paul exhorts the follower of Jesus to think on that which is true. An objection to the idea of self-compassion I often hear is the belief that it is being dishonest, or even “thinking of oneself more highly than they ought.” (see Rom. 12:3) However, the basis for self-compassion is not grounded in an overestimation of oneself, but rather a more balanced estimation which relies on the Word of God. I suggest that it is the intent of the Enemy that pastors believe destructive deceptions about themselves (see Zech. 3). Furthermore, I would argue that biblical self-compassion is not a gratuitous expression of self-love and humanistic affirmations, but instead it is a reliance on God and His Word as the basis of one’s self-worth—to know who you are and whose you are in Christ.
“But it is by the sustaining power of Jesus, through either that which is practical and natural or that which is miraculous and supernatural, that something which is burning might not be consumed. ”
The church can also be attentive to the overall wellbeing of their pastor. The author of Hebrews writes, “Obey your leaders and submit to them—for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account—so that they may do this with joy, not groaning; for this would be unhelpful for you.” (Hebrews 13:17) A pastor’s wellbeing, or lack thereof, is consequential to the wellbeing of the church. A church taking care of their pastor does not have to look like extravagance. Parishioners can write encouraging notes to their pastor, pray for their pastor, and speak and act kindly towards their pastor and their pastor’s family. It is exceedingly difficult for pastors to experience a church criticizing their spouse or children. As the Scripture indicates, they should also obey and submit to their pastor. Additionally, churches can support their pastor by providing for them financially. Yes, pastors are responsible to be good financial stewards, and they are also called to live by faith, knowing that God indeed will supply for their needs. It is also healthy and helpful for the church to recognize that one of the ways God provides for His servant is through the local church, not regardless of it.
Finally, it is healthy and helpful for pastors to not lose sight of the faithfulness of the One who has called them. I would suppose that a bush which is burning can do very little on its own to sustain its survival. But it is by the sustaining power of Jesus, through either that which is practical and natural or that which is miraculous and supernatural, that something which is burning might not be consumed.
References
Visker, J. D., Rider, T., & Humphers-Ginther, A. (2017). Ministry-related burnout and stress coping mechanisms among assemblies of God-ordained clergy in Minnesota. Journal of religion and health, 56(3), 951–961. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0295-7
