Pastors are not “supermen” and still struggle with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues that often lead to pastoral burnout and sometimes suicide.
“We learned that this work is hard on everyone,” Cliff Marion told a room full of pastors and church ministers gathered for the first Pastoral Mental Health Forum. “That’s how the people in this room feel, and we know that it ultimately takes a toll. That’s why we want to address it. Each of us needs friends. I we need each other.”
Marion, pastor of First Baptist Church Covington, partnered with the Big Hatchee Baptist Association and the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board to launch the forum. On February 12, about 50 pastors and pastors from other churches gathered at FBC.
Related: Check out more articles about mental health here.
The forum was held to address the growing trend of pastor burnout and pastoral dropouts due to mental health issues. The Tennessee Baptist Convention’s Acts 2:17 Initiative has identified mental health as a major area of concern for ministry and is currently creating a growing number of initiatives to address this issue among pastors, pastors, church members, and others. A working group is meeting to flesh out the strategy.You can watch forum videos here and here.
The stress of managing the COVID-19 pandemic has been cited as a catalyst for America’s growing mental health crisis. Many pastors cite stress as a significant cause. According to a 2023 Barna Research Group survey, only 52% of pastors are “very satisfied with their jobs” and feel as confident in their calling as they did when they began their ministry. Only half (50%) of Two out of five pastors (42%) are considering resigning as a pastor.
The main reasons cited by those who considered leaving the pastorate were “feeling lonely and isolated” (43%, 18% of all pastors surveyed) and “extreme job stress” (43% of pastors surveyed). 1 or 56%). all pastors).
Other major sources of dissatisfaction include “I am dissatisfied with the impact this role has had on my family” (29%) and “I am not optimistic about the future of the church” (29%).
Isolation and lack of “safe people”
“My friends, how many of you are here this Monday morning? On the outside, everything seems to be going very well, but on the inside, the world is falling apart, and if we don’t ask for help, we’ll be somewhere… “There will be a collapse,” he said. Ronnie Raines, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Clarksville and guest speaker at the forum. “That’s why[addressing mental health]is so important.”
Raines said the main problem compounding the problem is that pastors feel isolated and there are no “safe people” they can talk to. Pastors feel pressured to manage their missions, pastoral duties, and family responsibilities at a level where expectations are too high. Mental, physical, and spiritual pressure increases, ultimately producing negative results.
“There are a lot of pastors out there who say, ‘No one is safe in my life,'” Raines told the group. “Nobody comes in there at 2 p.m. or 2 a.m. Loneliness is a big problem for us in the ministry.”
Raines said there are three biblical ways to overcome spiritual challenges: taking care of yourself, resisting the enemy’s lies, and listening to God’s voice.
“You and I both need sleep, nutrition, exercise, balance, and rest,” Rains says. “We must be healthy in mind, body, and soul. How are you? Is your soul okay? Who in your life is asking you such questions?”
Face the reality, not the inflated reality
Raines said resisting the enemy’s lies is key to fighting mental health.
“Elijah said ‘they’ were after his life. That was not true,” Rains said. “It was an exaggerated reality. There was only one person who tried to kill him. Jezebel. To maintain mental health, we need to face the reality, not the exaggerated reality. We are exaggerating reality in some areas, and we need a clear understanding of reality to have healthy pastors and revitalized churches.”
The third area Raines mentioned that should not be overlooked in combating mental health issues is listening to God’s voice. He said that in order to hear God’s “soft whispers,” one must be close to God. “How close are you in your life to Jesus?” he asked the group.
Raines said it’s important for pastors and chaplains to seek help for themselves and their well-being when dealing with mental health, without worrying too much about the stigma often associated with the term. I told them that I needed to understand. For their families and the people they serve.
For those who would like someone to talk to, TBMB offers support through Shepherd Care Ministries, which is available to pastors, chaplains, and their immediate families. Collaborative counselors are located throughout the state and can often be reached within a few days of your initial contact with TBMB. If you are interested, please call 833-55-PEACE (833-557-3223).
Editor’s note — This story was written by Chris Turner and originally published by Baptist and Reflector.
