By Ryan Conner
Jim had trouble sleeping. He lay in bed most of the night tossing and turning. His mind kept repeating the same list of tasks.
Getting ready for his day of ministry duties seemed to require extra effort. He dreaded going into the church office and dealing with the phone messages, e-mails, and the handful of people who can”t seem to leave him alone. The same ministry tasks that used to bring Jim so much joy and fulfillment””visitation, leading small groups, even preaching””now brought only stress and frustration.
Thoughts popped into his mind throughout the day””perhaps he should start looking for a new ministry . . . something better, something different. His spiritual life was dry as a bone. He questioned himself, How can I minister to others when I am so empty? Jim even began to question his calling and whether he was a good fit for ministry.
Jim was experiencing ministry burnout.
Burnout is common for many working people. The term burnout can refer to the stage when rocket fuel is literally burned-out of the booster rockets during launch of the space shuttle. It can also describe the consequences of long-term drug abuse. A forest fire burnout is so severe it leaves the forest floor stripped of the vital humus necessary for regeneration.
The basic characteristic of burnout is the depletion of available energy. John Sanford writes in his book Ministry Burnout, “When a ministering person once complained of how tired he was getting, a colleague remarked, “˜Well, how many blood transfusions a day can you give to people?””1 Since ministers are in the business of helping, strengthening, and serving others, burnout in ministry is a problem not just for ministers but also the whole church.
Ministers Are Vulnerable
Sanford suggests several reasons burnout is a special problem for ministers. The following list is adapted from his book.
“¢ The job of the minister is never finished.
“¢ The minister cannot always tell if his work is producing results.
“¢ The work of the minister is repetitive.
“¢ The minister is constantly dealing with people”s expectations.
“¢ The minister must work with the same people year in and year out.
“¢ Because he works with needy people, the drain on his energy is particularly great.
“¢ The minister often deals with people who come to the church seeking “strokes” to temporarily satisfy and support their egocentric attitudes and defenses.
“¢ The minister must often (if not always) put on a positive front, a mask expected by those he”s serving.
“¢ The minister may become exhausted by failure.2
Most ministers will relate with Sanford”s list of reasons for burnout. But too often ministers personalize their experience of burnout and blame themselves. Since burnout in ministry often develops over time, the minister may not consider the environmental factors that contribute to the problem; instead he may simply ask, What”s wrong with me?
When a minister feels guilt and shame for not being up to the task, he often redoubles his efforts and rises above the pain until burnout strikes again. Understanding the personal and relational factors that contribute to burnout in ministry will help prevent ministry failure and restore the minister”s vitality.
Ministers May Be Unhealthy
Burnout in ministry is typically the result of unhealthy relationships in the minister”s life and work. Fred Lehr, in his book Clergy Burnout: Recovering from the 70-Hour Work Week and Other Self-Defeating Practices,3 suggests that “burnout is too often a politically correct or “˜safe” term for a real disease””codependency.” Few ministers think of themselves as codependent, but the shoe does seem to fit. Since codependent behaviors (i.e., enabling, denial, boundary violations, confusion, etc.) will inevitably lead a minister to the point of exhaustion, it appears codependency is a major cause of burnout in ministry.
Ministry is a field ripe for codependency. Congregations are often very happy to enter a codependent relationship with the minister””and sometimes insist on it. In this kind of relationship, the minister feels and acts over-responsibly, enabling the members of the church to feel and act under-responsibly.
“Don”t we pay the preacher for that?” is the cry of an under-responsible membership. Let”s admit it. We church members like our preachers to work hard, even at the expense of their own physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being””not to mention the well-being of their spouse and children.
Ministers often enter the ministry with a need to compensate for personal hang-ups. They believe faithfully serving the church, usually above and beyond the call of duty, will compensate for whatever hang-ups or nagging sense of inadequacy troubles them. A man who struggles with sexual sin may convince himself that giving his life to ministry will compensate for his prior indiscretions. What is he to do when his codependent behaviors motivated by guilt and shame lead to burnout in ministry? He may move into a state of desperation or hopelessness or redouble his efforts to manage and control the church through more aggressive and dominant behavior””Lehr calls this a state of hidden codependency.4
Moving to a state of hopelessness may lead to self-destructive behaviors””sexually inappropriate behavior, substance abuse, financially irresponsible behavior, or the misappropriation of church funds. Moving to hidden codependency usually results in termination from ministry, unless the congregation is pleased to live with a dominant and controlling minister.
Ministers May Imitate Family Patterns
Ministers who functioned in these codependent roles in their families will likely play out these codependent roles in the church. In codependent families, family members are observed playing the following codependent roles:
“¢ chief enabler
“¢ scapegoat
“¢ hero
“¢ lost child
“¢ rescuer (messiah)
“¢ mascot.
These roles are often also played out in congregations. For example, a minister who played the family hero growing up will enter the ministry as the hero of the church. He will be so good and so holy that the church need only rest in the shadow of the preacher”s righteousness. Imagine the pressure to maintain such a high standard before the church.
Another example is the minister who plays the role of rescuer (messiah). Whenever there is a problem, no matter how great or small, the minister will rush to the scene and save the day. One country preacher plays the mascot. He is always available for comic relief to break the tension and bring the situation back to a comfortable level. Nothing is ever resolved, problems go unattended, and the goals of the ministry are undermined by this subtle codependent agreement of denial.
Ministers Can Recover
By redefining burnout in ministry as a problem of codependency, Lehr also provides a way forward in helping those who experience burnout. Instead of moving from codependency to hidden codependency or hopelessness, Lehr suggests a move toward interdependency. That move is possible through implementing self-care behaviors. The way ministers treat themselves and their spouses and children is often the key to unlocking the codependency that causes burnout in ministry.
Lehr warns ministers who will be attempting to move toward interdependency that it will not get them pats on the back but, instead, will evoke questions of one”s dedication and even faith. Congregations caught in the cycle of codependency will attempt to punish clergy who attempt to make this move through various ways to show their displeasure.5
The move to interdependency may present challenges, but it is worth the effort. Self-help resources, personal, couple, and family counseling, and the various residential treatment options available may be a part of this move to appropriate self-care and healthy relationships. Not only will ministers save themselves from burnout, but this transition to interdependency will also move the church toward greater emotional health.6Â Both the minister and the church will function more productively for the cause of Christ.
Other factors that may contribute to burnout in ministry include deficiencies in preparation, a lack of ongoing training in skills for ministry, and inappropriate ministry placement. Bible colleges and seminaries are beginning to understand courses are needed that address the personal needs of the minister””his spiritual life, his marriage, family, and his emotional health. Churches are realizing they need to encourage ministers to take time for continuing education, rest, and renewal. In the church-planting world, at least, there is an emphasis on vocational assessment and discerning the giftedness one has for ministry.
These are positive signs. Ultimately, the minister must take responsibility for setting healthy boundaries, avoid the tendency to play out a codependent role, and take appropriate measures for self-care.
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1John A. Sanford, Ministry Burnout (London: Arthur James, 1982), 9.
2Ibid., 5-15.
3Fred Lehr, Clergy Burnout: Recovering from the 70-Hour Work Week . . . and Other Self-Defeating (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2006).
4Ibid., 33.
5Ibid., 39.
6Peter Scazzero, The Emotionally Healthy Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003).
Ryan Connor serves as a staff therapist with the Christian Counseling and Resource Center, Whites Ferry Road Church of Christ in West Monroe, Louisiana. He has 12 years of preaching ministry experience and is a licensed professional counselor.
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Resources for Burnout Recovery
Self-help Resources
“¢ Clergy Burnout: Recovering from the 70-Hour Work Week and Other Self-Defeating Practices by Fred Lehr (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2006).
“¢ Burnout Busters: Stress Management for Ministry by Joseph D. White (Huntington: Our Sunday Visitor, 2007).
“¢ The Empowered Leader: 10 Keys to Servant Leadership by Calvin Miller (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Academic, 1997).
“¢ The Emotionally Healthy Church by Peter Scazzero (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003).
“¢ The Parsonage, a Web site of Focus on the Family (www.parsonage.org).
Pastor Care, Retreat Centers, and Residential Treatment
“¢ PastorCare.net, a network of pastor care specialists organized by Dr. Bruce Parmenter.
“¢ Blessing Ranch (www.blessingranch.org). Blessing Ranch is a not-for-profit Christian ministry that exists to minister to ministers and other Christian leaders in need of restoration and renewal. Blessing Ranch provides pastor care through professional psychological services, meaningful retreats, and academic programs.
“¢ Caregivers Forum (www.caregiversforum.org). The ministries represented at the forum provide services ranging from rest and relaxation to spiritual retreats to intensive counseling and everything in between. This voluntary listing is provided as a resource to those seeking help as well as those providing referrals.
“¢ Marble Retreat Christian Counseling (www.marbleretreat.org). An eight-day program for ministers and their families located in the Colorado Rockies.
“”RC
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