Three Actions to Take Against Pastoral Stress

Question: What causes stress and burnout among pastors, and what actions can help address this serious and unrelenting problem?

The shepherds are stressed. A recent study by Barna Research Group found that 38 percent of pastors have considered quitting full-time ministry, up nine points from previous years. The study also evaluated six well-being categories. Only 35 percent of pastors landed in the healthy category. 

That’s a problem for congregations. A big problem. To put it bluntly, a re-invented psalm of the modern modern pastor might read like this: 

1. The pastor is my shepherd; he’s stressed.
2. He struggles to care for himself; his world is loud and distracting.
3. He walks in a valley of concerns; fears rise and fall frequently, and comforts are hard to find.
4. At the table, he serves both friend and foe, sometimes unsure who is which.
5. God’s goodness and faithful love ever pursues him, and yet he’s stressed.

At the outset, I want to be clear: this article does not intend to start a gripe session. It’s a simple statement of the facts surrounding many pastors. In one sense, the disclaimer itself shines a light on the problem of pastoral stress. Internal and external pressures can hinder an honest account of the problems for fear of complaining or being accused of it. Instead, I want to consider five reasons for pastor stress and burnout, and three helpful actions to take (Matthew 11:28-30).

Pastors Are Owned Men

First, the comprehensive nature of pastoral ministry can contribute to pastoral stress. The long work hours of faithful pastors speak on a micro level to the issue of possible stress. Zoom out, and the big picture adds clarity. Pastors are owned men. Our lives and ministries do not fit neatly into the standard office hours of the business world. 

By calling, shepherds are more like emergency responders than office workers. We remain available—and cheerfully so—around the clock. Pastors remain ready to respond with care in midnight crises or daylight hours.

Many pastors and I enjoy this ‘always on’ aspect of ministry. Thinking back to the many times someone has called me out of bed or in serious need of something from an already stacked day of activity, I’ve not once begrudged the person who called. 

Still, the absence of downtime often presents an additional occasion for pastoral stress, which pastors do not handle well. The routine of ministry hours, which sometimes seem unbroken, can feel like a relentless hustle from good work to good work. Certainly, worse fates exist, but they still present an effect like compounding mental or spiritual weight. 

Pastors Face High Expectations from Others and Themselves

Hidden away in the lives of owned men are people’s expectations. Whether real or imagined, expectations function like rules, and rules impose pressures to perform. Expectations create anticipation, and anticipations can bring stress. Sometimes, the expectations are clear. Other expectations are subtle, and people assume pastors know about them. Church members share other expectations quietly with each other, yet they still expect you to meet these expectations. Beyond the external expectations, faithful pastors also set a high bar for themselves.

Pastors feel varied pressures:

• I need to preach with clarity and power. 
• I need to express sufficient compassion and presence.
• I need to monitor the organizational structures of the church.
• I need to engage with every guest and member.
• I need to foster congregational growth.
• I need to fix the spiritual problems among the flock.
• I need to pray and read more. 
• I need to make sure people feel good about the direction of the church.
• I need to get in better shape.
• I need to make more money.

So why are pastors struggling with stress? Hmm, let me think about it. Though strange, a lot of pastors wonder about this very thing. Why do I feel so stressed? It’s like attending a family reunion. You do nothing but sit around and eat and talk about Aunt Sherra’s health issues and cousin Drew’s financial hardship, but in the end, you’re exhausted and don’t know why. The layers of stress and expectation fly low and go unnoticed. 

Pastors Handle Regular Criticism and Conflict

When expectations run high, they often go unmet, bringing criticism and conflict. Here, we find two more stress inducers. Few pastors know how to handle the consequences of unmet expectations, and many more falter under the disappointment and uncertainty that follow. I’ve noticed among my fellow pastors a unique and stressful fear when facing church criticism (Galatians 1:10). Pastors are Plan A people; they don’t bargain for Plan B. Pastors see their calling set out in the Scriptures. When criticism and conflict threaten their ministry security, the fear of job loss can loom with a kind of panic (Matthew 6:25-34). If dismissed from the church, I guess I’ll be selling used cars. It might sound outlandish to some, but pastors rightly fear such a loss. 

Furthermore, in churches where expectation and the corresponding criticism reign while providing little pastoral support and reassurance, the stress levels compound with time. Sadly, the troubling mix infects more churches than I’d like to admit, and it amounts to a load of stressful pressure on the shepherd’s head. 

Pastors Live A Real Life Along the Way

Underneath the stressors I mentioned above (which are only a few), shepherds have the trials and troubles of regular life stewing (2 Corinthians 11:28-29). Perhaps this fact explains why pastoral stress can grow so powerful in the life of a pastor: no release valve. In the ordinary 9 to 5 working life, a person has a steam valve in either dimension of life, home, or work. If pressures rise in the home dimension, he gains a reprieve at work; if pressures rise in the work dimension, home becomes a special haven. In one sense, the home and the office are one and the same for the shepherd, and the resulting stressful situation can feel inescapable. Coaches guard timeouts like gold. They know the value of a moment to rest and regroup. Those living in the blended dimensions also see the value of timeouts, breathers, and steam valves. Pastors know it well.

Three Ways to Handle Pastoral Stress

Shepherds can and must address their stress to avoid hitting the wall of burnout, which so often hinders or sidelines even the most faithful pastors. While churches and their pastors can and should take desperate measures to control the debilitation of ministry stress, I want to start on the surface by suggesting three actions any pastor can and should take to trim their wicks.

1. Cultivate Two Good Friendships

Stressed shepherds need a special brand of help for a couple of reasons. Receiving early help sets the best forward path. But a pastor can feel reluctant to draw attention to the early signs of ministry stress. He might fear an overreaction, either in people doting on him with alarm (Oh no, our pastor can’t handle things!) or a critical response (Stressed? Well, he shouldn’t have become a pastor if he can’t deal with the stress.). Thus, he may avoid confiding in others. How can he find support with these two concerns hanging overhead? A stressed shepherd needs two trusted friends, ideally also pastors. Why two?—because two are better than one. Why friends?—because good friends don’t over or underreact. Good friends who understand the experience of pastoral stress can listen, commiserate, and offer a voice of encouragement that others (even fellow staff members or family) cannot (Proverbs 17:17). 

2. Slow the Flow of Inputs

Here’s a practical tip for trimming the wicks – slow or reduce the inputs of your heart and mind. I recently found this discipline helpful (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). For the longest time, I allowed cable news to play like ambient media on a large ROKU TV, which was visible any time I looked right over the top of my main computer monitor. I enjoyed the atmosphere because I do care about the world and what’s happening in it. Along the way, I was also active on social media, keeping up with news and friends and the exploits of ultra-runners I aspired to join. Then something surprising happened. One day (I don’t exactly know why), I entered a slow process of reduction. Little by little, I cut out news, swore off most social media outlets, and migrated my iPhone to a perpetual state of “do not disturb.” These decisions have brought clarity of mind and, thus, a noticeable reduction of stress. It shows that small changes can yield helpful results in this challenging area of life.

3. Practice A Wake-up and Shut-Down Routine

A final suggestion to grab an advantage over the daily stress of ministry includes establishing a routine to start and conclude the day. It may seem obvious to us because we’re urged from the first dawning of faith to start each day with “quiet time” (Mark 6:31). But the stress-addressing value of a spiritual wake-up and shut-down routine may not have occurred to you. Marking the start and end of each day provides two key reference points by which we can handle each day. The difference between a standard quiet time and the pastoral start and finish routines might be the addition of a daily look forward and review at the day’s end. This simple practice gives a comforting sense of organizational control and anticipation day by day.

In conclusion, the plight of stressed pastors is not merely hypothetical or exaggerated; it’s a lived and serious experience of many pastors. The usual challenges of church leadership and strong expectations and criticism create a perfect storm for burnout. But amid these challenges, there is hope. By recognizing the challenges and taking careful steps to trim the wicks, pastors can navigate the rigorous demands of shepherding with increased joy and resilience. 

©2024 Rush Witt. Used with permission.