Articles for tag: Pastoral Burnout

August 5, 2012

Surviving Ministry Means Knowing Ourselves

By Rob McCord I believe the pastoral ministry is one of the most exhilarating and rewarding ways one can spend a life. It is an honor and a thrill, an adventure and a delight, full of amazing highs and irreplaceable glimpses of God at work. However, upon entering ministry, I completely lacked understanding of the pain that would accompany it. Pastoral ministry carries with it the potential of psychological, emotional, and even spiritual trauma. It can be dangerous. The statistics regarding pastoral burnout and failure are staggering. The pain and anguish that so many pastors endure is heartbreaking. These servant

August 1, 2012

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

Learning to Trust

By Mike MacKenzie Jeff is not unlike many ministers we see. He has been in ministry for 25 years and has been reasonably successful. He accepted his current senior pastor position eight years ago knowing it was going to be a challenge. The congregation”s former senior pastor, who was also the founding pastor, had left under a cloud of suspicion. The church”s building program was hanging in limbo after a church split had seen half the members leave. And the finances were messy. But Jeff figured, with his experience, he had a responsibility to do what he could when he

August 1, 2010

Tim Harlow

Discipleship & Spiritual Formation Spiritual Disciplines

I Was the Big, Dead Tree

Tim Harlow reflects on burnout, Elijah, Sabbath, and stillness, showing how even fruitful ministry can become spiritually dangerous when leaders begin running ahead of God.

August 1, 2010

Mark A. Taylor

Church Leadership

Avoiding Burnout, Surviving Burnout

Christian leaders can resist burnout by breaking patterns of personal obligation, self-sacrifice, self-abuse, and isolation while pursuing healthier rhythms for long-term ministry.

January 30, 2008

Mark A. Taylor

Church & Ministry

Ministers: The Happiest Workers in America

A Time survey said clergy are America’s happiest workers. Mark A. Taylor reflects on ministry’s pressures and why lasting joy often comes from serving others and offering hope in Jesus’ name.

October 7, 2007

Jim Putman

Church & Ministry Church Staff

Real Relationship

Relationship is essential to the church’s teamwork and mission. Jim Putman explains why leaders need honest friendships, unity, and encouragement to model love, resist isolation, and serve with spiritual endurance.

September 10, 2006

Name Withheld

Church & Ministry Church Staff

When It Was Better Not to Fight

A minister recounts a painful season of church conflict triggered by leadership burnout and false accusations. He shares hard-won strategies—silence, Scripture, trusted support, counseling, and perseverance—that helped him endure and ultimately move toward healing.

November 27, 2005

Jim Tune

Church & Ministry Church Planting

Church planters need more than a strong launch

Survival Tips for Church Planters

Even thriving church plants can swallow up the planter. Jim Tune shares hard-won principles for endurance—certainty of calling, freedom to be yourself, and boundaries that protect marriage, home, and long-term ministry.