Burnout: The Silent Church Disease
by Stephan Joubert
The Story
The Church was searching for a new pastor. This person needed to be a diligent shepherd that would be available to the community at all times. A competent leader quickly became an unmitigated disaster because the new pastor could not keep his head above water. There were too many meetings, teachings, Bible Studies, and difficult members to keep track of. The church counsel was also not satisfied with his work performance. And so they simply advertised again, and the madness continued.
The Facts*
According to a 210 article written by Paul Vitello in the New York Times entitled "Taking A break From The Lord's Work" burnout among pastors has become the new normal. Vitello begins his article with this dismal summation: "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."
The American website pastorburnout.com supports this summary by listing the following statics on pastoral burnout:
Roughly 13% of active pastors are divorced.
33% burn out within the first five years in ministry and would say the ministry is unhealthy for their family life
40% of all pastors, and 47% of their spouses suffer from burnout due to unrealistic expectations from their work as well as being overworked themselves.
50% of pastors feel they are unequipped for the demands of their job.
56% of pastors' spouses say they do not have any good friends.
57% of pastors would change to a diffirent job immediately if they found one.
75% experience serious stress that leads to deepening anger, anxiety, depression and isolation.
(*Note: This section is sourced from: Jy kan 'n verskil maak, by Stephan Joubert, CUM Books, 2014)
The Question
Why is the reality often the norm within our local churches?
In part, it happens because people are looking for "shepherds that need to always be available to the church for all their needs" as I recently read in a church advertisement for a pastoral position. People are looking for pastors that can pretty much do everything because they are paid for that. They need to be able to pray, preach, teach, talk, comfort, reprimand, encourage, concile, solve problems, convert sinners, build up believers, do home visits, save marriages, understand young people, take care of the elderly, bury the dead, officiate weddings, lead meetings, manage committees- all while also needing to spend hours dialy in prayer and studying the Word of God, for isn't that the true role of a pastor?
Unrealistic expectations are a large cause in turning so many pastors into "spiritual robots" that need to be available to everyone. Yet, in the New Testament, you never read about "Professional Believers" who have to be everthing to everyone, at all times. The church is the living body of Christ. Believers fill certain functions according to the gifts that God has given each one. The role of a spiritual leader is to equip believers to follow the path of God has laid out for them, not to do everything themselves (see Ephesians 4:11-16).
Let us each stand in our place in God's Kingdom and the church. Only as we stand will the smoke from the pastoral burnout disappear like mist before the sun!