Articles for Topic: Clergy Self-Care

Your pastor isn’t as unhealthy as you might think

From The Christian Century By Amy Frykholm The clergy are all right—at least, as all right as anyone else is. Have you heard that 71 percent of pastors are burned out? That 80 percent believe the profession has been harmful to their families? That pastors are leaving...

14 Surprising Facts About Pastors

From ChurchLeaders By Josh Weidmann By definition, a pastor is one who “shepherds his flock.” You know this means he preaches, officiates weddings and probably has meetings in his office to explain some theological question; but what is the role of pastor really like?...

Healing Spiritual Wounds

From Faith and Leadership An interview with Carol Howard Merritt, the author of “Healing Spiritual Wounds. Carol Howard Merritt grew up in a conservative Christian family. It was also an abusive family, and she has struggled much of her life to heal from the wounds...

Staying Put: A Look at the First 10 Years of Ministry

From Alban By Israel Galindo During my years in parish ministry I offered spiritual direction for clergy in the area. In the span of two years, four pastors came to me with what seemed to be the same symptoms. Each felt a sense of restlessness, malaise, and vague...

Epidemic: Another Pastor Burned Out and Quit Last Sunday

From Christianity Today By Karl Vaters It never gets easier. No matter how many times you hear about it. And we’re hearing about it a lot more lately. In epidemic numbers. Another pastor announced to his stunned congregation that he couldn’t do it anymore....