What is the impact on people from, as you write, “exhaustion, disillusionment and eventually physical or emotional burnout”?
There are many ways this issue impacts pastors and families. However, one complication that’s particularly extreme in ministry is when a pastor experiences “emotional” or “psychological” symptoms, these are often assumed to be spiritual issues. Thus, if a pastor is depressed due to exhaustion, this may be interpreted as them being “unfit to pastor.” Ironically, the grace offered in almost all other professional settings is often missing from the church when it comes to our shepherds. Because of this, many pastors will hide depression, anxiety and other emotional symptoms because they don’t want to hear the dreaded words, “I wonder what’s wrong with the pastor?” This often keeps them from getting the help that they need at an early enough point to be helpful. Tragically, because of this unfortunate pattern, help may be delayed until after a “break” and then may require long, or permanent, absence from ministry. You write, “How many, at the brink of seeing great revival for which they ma
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