A few years ago, I had the opportunity to lead a group coaching experience with pastors in Ecuador. I was invited to help them focus on staying healthy amid the pressures of ministry.
Pastors from across the region filed into the sanctuary where we were meeting. We began by gauging their tiredness, and it turned out their fatigue levels were high. These ministry leaders were stretched thin. It soon became clear to us that the expectations put on them by others and themselves to care for families, communities and congregations were weighing them down.
I was speaking through a translator, and she wrestled for the right words to describe the burnout these leaders were experiencing. A man came up to the translator and whispered the word fundido to her. The translation? “An engine that seizes up from running hot with no oil.” A pretty apt description indeed.
As our coaching conversation on burnout unfolded, I couldn’t understand most of the participants’ table banter, but one discussion got heated. A younger leader called an older man to the carpet for saying, “We’ll rest when we’re dead. Our communities need us.” The younger leader quipped back, “If you do not rest, you will be dead.”
Unfortunately, burnout is a serious and widespread issue for ministry leaders everywhere. I’m burdened by the cultural burnout epidemic that they are experiencing. Burnout isn’t just coming for entrepreneurs, night shift nurses, under-resourced teachers or overworked CEOs—it is coming for pastors. The pressure to care for everyone while delivering fresh, innovative results is taking its toll.
Understanding Burnout
In light of this epidemic of burnout, it’s important to recognize what burnout truly is. The best definition I’ve heard is from philosopher Byung-Chul Han who calls it “voluntary self-exploitation.” It’s not just something that is done to us, but many times we allow it to happen, even perpetuate it. He links this to our insatiable search for achievement, a mindset that leads to a society of work where the master has become the slave.
Perhaps the most helpful burnout definition for pastors comes from two scholars: Christina Maslach, professor emerita of psychology at University of California, Berkeley, and Susan Jackson, distinguished professor emerita of human resource management at Rutgers University. In their article “The Measurement of Experienced Burnout,” they write, “[Burnout is] a syndrome of emotional exhaustion and cynicism that occurs in individuals who do ‘people work’ of some kind.” It turns out “people work,” like the kind pastors do, has plenty of occupational hazards.
So that’s what some experts have to say about burnout. But how do everyday people describe it? I recently asked a group of friends who have all experienced burnout. Here is what they said: “Emptier than empty.” “Freezer burn.” “Full, yet completely empty.” “Depleted mentally and emotionally.” “Ice-skating uphill.” “Numb.”
And how do we know when we’re in danger of burnout? Psychologist Wes Beavis uses the following equation:
Dealing With People + Being Responsible for Favorable Outcomes = Burnout Risk Zone
Along with “people work,” this puts every pastor squarely in the risk zone. But pastors also need to see that burnout isn’t just …
• Physical tiredness, although that’s one symptom.
• Grief, although unrealized grief can perpetuate it.
• Sacrifice, although unmeasured, unwise sacrifice can contribute.
• Sudden, although it can feel like it is.
• Failure, although it can slow us down.
• The end, although it may seem like it.
• Easy to notice in ourselves, although others can see it in us far easier than we can.
• Inevitable, because it doesn’t have to be this way.
The Effects of Burnout
We live in a culture constantly stretching relational, physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and financial limits. This leaves us living depleted, like a phone battery in the red constantly in need of charging. If we continue in this state for too long, burnout can trigger massive impacts like debilitating health issues, adrenal fatigue or moral crashes.
It can have other effects that are equally as important to be aware of and are equally as concerning:
• It wears down physical health, zapping energy, optimism and engagement.
• It impacts families when parents are grumpy or distant.
• It creates disengagement for staff and parishioners when pastors are worn down.
• It impacts decisions, leading to decision fatigue, procrastination or avoidance.
• It deflates creativity in preaching and clarity of vision.
• It stunts compassion, limiting the capacity for pastoral care.
When pastors are overwhelmed or exhausted, everyone suffers—them, their family, the staff and the congregation.
Times of Concern
These are challenging days, even for the churches that are doing well. Pastors are battling with pressing challenges like cynicism, isolation, mental health issues and a dial of hurry turned up to 11. The strain they face is real. Barna data shows that 41% of pastors say they have considered quitting ministry in the last 12 months. Ministry leaders are fighting for their own health as they contend for the health of others.
Election cycles have been extremely painful for pastors the last few rounds, and here we are again in 2024. Pastors’ hearts break when people loudly choose a party line over a relationship and behave poorly on social media. People exited congregations the last two election seasons, and, yes, it felt very personal.
Leaders scattered across the country also are burdened by the loneliness epidemic in their congregations. In recent months, I’ve gathered groups of pastors for dinners, and the topic of conversation was loneliness. They expressed their deep concern for people, especially men, in their congregations who are lonely and disconnected.
Pastors are feeling this loneliness, too. In a recent Barna study, 65% of pastors reported feelings of loneliness and isolation. Over the last few decades, many people have viewed the church as oppositional, even combative, to mental health issues, which has hurt the witness of the church and blocked some pastors from pursuing their mental and emotional health.
A Moment of Confluence
Are you ready for some good news? The tide is turning. There was a time when pastors weren’t allowed to struggle openly or to seek therapy, but those days are coming to an end in most places. Today ministry leaders are taking their relational, emotional and mental health more seriously.
I am encouraged by ministry leaders taking action to surround themselves with safe and life-giving people. If you’re a pastor, you have far more resources available today than you did in the past. For example, safe gatherings of pastors and ministry leaders are popping up across the country.
Pastors are trading competition for collaboration. Churches are working together and seeking to cultivate a greater collective gospel witness in their cities.
Leaders also are befriending new pastors in town and supporting one another. Organizations like PastorServe, The Refuge, Young Guns, The Retreat at Church Creek, Full Strength Network and the 10Ten Project serve leaders across the country. Local pastor networks also are on the rise.
Leadership coaching is becoming more common. Every week I experience how coaching provides a space for pastors to receive help navigating pastoral challenges and leadership complexities.
Denominations and churches are resourcing pastor care in new ways. Many have budgets for counseling and even spouse getaways.
Larger organizations like the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) are now asking board members to prioritize the relational connection of their pastors by regularly encouraging them to cultivate deep relationships.
From Time to Energy
Because burnout is a complex issue, and this is a complex time to lead, reversing the burnout cycle will require us to change how we think about time and energy. The currency of leadership is energy, not time. One of the greatest shifts a ministry leader can make is focusing more on their energy than their time.
Spenders work for money, but investors make their money work for them. Investing energy works the same way. The leaders who invest their energy know when and where their energy brings the best returns. Financial investors focus on ROI (return on investment), but leaders must focus on ROE (return on energy).
What is the highest ROE for you? For some pastors it’s leading groups, for others it’s preaching. For some it’s pastoral care, and for others it’s developing a team. The most effective leaders develop rhythms to invest regularly in their growth, their family and their replenishment. They work with the grain of their energy, not against it.
In Life Worth Living, philosopher and theologian Miroslav Volf asks the arresting question, “What is worth wanting?” Before we can live a healthy life and have a sustainable ministry, we must prioritize what is worthy of our best attention. Just because the hot church online is doing something or just because it’s working for the pastor you follow on Instagram doesn’t mean it’s worthy of your best energy.
Combating Burnout
I get the joy of watching pastors make shifts that create freedom and space in their lives. One pastor got serious about Sabbath and watched his family and ministry transform. After another leader empowered his team to make more decisions, his decision fatigue waned and his team’s feeling of ownership increased.
Another pastor shifted his schedule to prioritize what matters most during his week and found he had space for things he desired more of. Another pastor gives himself a block of time to hear from God after his workday before engaging with his family.
Following are some steps you can take to discover what might work for you.
1. Shift your mindset. Start by praying for the renewing of your mind. If you believe you must stretch the limits of your time, energy and schedule, you will continue stretching. Limits are a beautiful thing. As a young pastor I learned this valuable lesson: If we don’t get it done before Sabbath, we can take care of it next week.
2. Actively cultivate friendships. It’s crucial to be around people who don’t need you, those outside your congregation who won’t have the same demands on you. It can also be freeing to spend time with other pastors who understand the challenges of ministry. You need to have spaces to let down your hair and just be human.
3. Develop teams to share the pastoral load. There’s a great irony in many churches: Staff members and congregants are bored while pastors are overloaded. Moses and Stephen both experienced the shift from individual overload to lighter team leadership. Battle the lies you tell yourself, like No one will do it as well as I can, No one will want to take on these responsibilities, and I’m all alone in this.
You can develop teams around you. A teaching team can lighten your preaching load and allow you to take that real vacation you’ve been dreaming about. A pastoral care team can lessen hospital visits and evening calls. A helps team can fill in gaps of the things that must be done but are draining you. A discernment team can help you wade through tough decisions. God loves to answer “people prayers,” and people are honored when you see greater potential in them.
4. Invite professionals to serve you in the niches. I am a huge fan of pastors seeking help for their mental health, leadership and preaching. The best leaders in any field have help honing their skills, and pastors should too. Many pastors are pursuing counseling and coaching.
The general rule is if you feel like you need help processing emotions, a counselor is the way to go; if you need help moving forward professionally, a coach is the way to go. Counseling and coaching pair very well together. You can get help organizing, preparing and finding liturgy for your preaching at The Pastor’s Workshop (ThePastorsWorkshop.com). Getting help from well-informed outsiders is not cheating. It’s stewardship.
5. Engage or reengage hobbies. Many pastors feel guilty playing. After all, it costs money and takes them away from the congregation and their family. But the right hobbies keep our mind off work, allowing us to get away from our devices, replenish our energy and create space to hear from God.
Everyone recharges differently. One pastor I coach joined a boating club; another golfs nine holes alone on Sabbath mornings. Another paints, another goes Jeeping, and another taught himself leatherwork. In addition to offering replenishment, hobbies often humanize pastors to their congregation and allow them to connect with them in a deeper way.
6. Dial in your weekly rhythm. There are incredible tools available to help you develop a rule of life, but for some pastors a weekly rhythm feels more approachable. Those who proactively schedule their biggest priorities ahead of time can live, lead and pastor on offense. Not only does this help you be proactive, but it gives you things to look forward to and space to write your sermon without being distracted or falling behind.
You can map out your day and week scheduling specific blocks to hear from God, exercise, focus on family, study, develop your staff, and connect with friends. When I was a pastor, my weekly rhythm included a “get to do” ministry day stacked full of what I most enjoyed about my ministry role. It was the day before my Sabbath, so I looked forward to it all week. One of my favorite weekly rhythms is a lunch slot I reserve for someone outside my team who brings me life.
7. Create a sabbatical program for you and your staff. Sabbaticals are on the rise across the country, and I expect this to increase over the next decade. I have experienced a spike in requests to help pastors prepare for, navigate and reenter from a sabbatical. We even help boards better understand the need for pastoral sabbaticals.
Lighten the Load
Burnout comes in stealth mode, often appearing as a lot of good things we should do. I’m convinced burnout is one of the sneakiest schemes from the Father of Lies to distract us from the Father of Life. Don’t wait until you’re concerned about your health, disengaged from your family or resentful toward your congregants to make a change. Wise leaders leverage rest and momentum, honoring God’s intention for both hard work and replenishing rest.
People may not ask you about your habits or priorities, but they are certainly watching your life closely. Your spiritual vitality and your family are far too important to figure them out as you go. If you want to minister for the long haul, you’ll have to think, act and schedule for a marathon.
In a culture soaked in fear, outrage and distraction, we need pastors to be living and leading from a place of health. Fighting and overcoming the cycle of burnout is something we all need to pay attention to. By taking the time to focus on your mental health, you are working toward leading in the future with a lighter ministry load.