The June 2 issue of the Christian Century reports a poll that reported that 29 % of clergy have given “real, serious consideration to quitting being a full-time ministry within the last year. Churches can’t afford to lose one-third of their pastoral leadership. The next two blogs explore what churches and clergy can do to address this issue.
The Wimp Factor
Especially when we speak about congregations taking care of their pastors, both from the perspective of the pastor and that of the congregation, we need to recognize that a major barrier is the wimp factor. Congregations call clergy to be their leaders and the assumption is that the pastor takes care of the congregation, not the reverse. Clergy make a similar assumption. For someone to suggest that the pastor needs cared for creates an image of babying or coddling someone who is in a fragile state. To use a pejorative term, wimps need cared for, not strong leaders.
Overcoming the wimp factor and recognizing that it is in the best interest of both the congregation and the clergy to identify the stressful nature of being a pastor in today’s congregations is vital. I’m not speaking of some malevolent element in a congregation but simply the subtle ways in which the large range of expectations in a congregation and the emotional situations, both positive and negative, can take their toll on otherwise healthy people. The strongest and healthiest of leaders can be worn down by the pressures and negative conditions that are present in the best of congregations.
STEPS TO TAKE
A first step is simply an honest recognition of the challenge inherent in ministry. Most good clergy accept that they are in a very demanding profession. However, few people ever stop to think about what the variety of demands are on the pastor. Below is an exercise in simply recognizing the challenge. Make copies of the worksheet and ask each elder to fill out the form and then compare notes before they also compare it with a pastor’s own estimation of his or her time demands.
Estimating Hours Worked
Below is a list of tasks that most ministers perform regularly. Please estimate the number of hours you think might be required in the average week. Guessing is allowed and encouraged. Don’t try to total the number until you are finished guessing at each individual item.
TELEPHONE, E-MAIL, CORRESPONDENCE _____
ADMINISTRATION _____
SUPERVISION OF STAFF &/OR VOLUNTEERS _____
COMMITTEE MEETINGS DURING THE DAY _____
COMMITTEE MEETINGS HELD AT NIGHT _____
WORSHIP PLANNING AND CONDUCTING _____
SERMON PREPARATION AND PREACHING _____
PRIVATE PRAYER AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICE _____
CHURCH SCHOOL PLANNING _____
TEACHER / OFFICER TRAINING _____
HOSPITAL OR CRISIS VISITING _____
HOME VISITING _____
TEACHING _____
COUNSELING _____
SPECIAL EVENT PLANNING AND PARTICIPATION _____
(weddings, funerals, seasonal events, etc.)
YOUTH MINISTRY _____
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY _____
SERVICE & MISSION WORK _____
COMMUNITY WORK WITH OTHER CHURCHES _____
EVANGELISM AND WITNESS _____
DENOMINATIONAL WORK _____
TOTAL HOURS _____
EMOTIONAL WEAR AND TEAR
Another factor that exacerbates the wear and tear of of ministry is what I call the emotional roller-coaster nature of ministry. We all recognize that being engaged in a highly emotional situation, whether it is good or bad, can take its toll on our energy levels. Compassion Fatigue can easily result from continually seeking to respond to the needs of others. The better and more compassionate a pastor is, the more s/he is subject to those conditions. Add to that the need to also engage in an almost incessant series of routine activities that are demanding of time and energy but not very stimulating with respect to results, and you have some sense of the emotional roller-coaster nature of ministry.
Again, first working as individual elders and then sharing as a session, try to imagine the variety of activities that your pastor might engage in over a three-month time period. On a scale of 1 to 10, using both positive and negative numbers to represent both positive and negative emotions, try to picture the emotional ride of being a pastor for this time period. Not every week has a baptism, a tragic accident, a marital counseling session, a negative or positive response to a sermon, teaching the confirmation class, trying to manage a budget deficit, etc., but try to build in some typical possibilities that might occur over a three-month’s time.
The purpose is not to create a pity party for the pastor. The purpose is to recognize the challenge, which includes the emotional stress inherent in ministry.
Again, I want to emphasize that the better and more sensitive a pastor is, the more taxing is his or her exercise of ministry. So for a session to want to care for the clergy of their church is to recognize the strengths, not the weaknesses, of the pastor(s).
ON FRIDAY’S BLOG I’LL SUGGEST SOME STEPS TO TAKE.
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