Video: Church Leaders Speak Out About Stress in Ministry

[jwplatform yROGbNUV]

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) — People usually turn to their pastor if they’re in trouble, but who do they turn to if they need help?

According to a recent survey by Pastoral Care, Inc., just last year more than 1,700 ministers nationwide left the ministry each month.

Local church leaders say they’re still shocked by the number of those leaving the ministry, even if their job can be stressful.

“Unless you really deal with the stress in a positive way, it can mount up pretty quickly,” said Dr. Shawn Parker, pastor of First Baptist Church of Columbus.

Many factors mentioned in the survey were stress-related.

Vicar Sandra DePriest of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, says they don’t always know what to expect, but the key is a lot of prayer, and having a pastoral support group.

“We process things that are going on in our lives personally and professionally,” DePriest said. “I think that’s important. Having a peer in ministry is also important to be able to share concerns without being specific.”

Church leaders say having a supportive congregation is a big help as well.

“The best thing that could be done for your pastor is to pray for him,” Parker said. “If you pray for him that God will strengthen him, that will be the best gift you could ever give him.”

Despite the stress, these ministers say they love their jobs because they’ve been called by God to serve.

“In fact, I think that’s a key part of staying in the ministry is finding the right match in the church where you serve,” DePriest said.

“You enjoy working with people, and if that’s the case, and you see spiritual breakthroughs, then that makes all of the challenges worthwhile,” Parker said.

In addition to prayer, DePriest and Parker say they also deal with stress by exercising, eating healthy, and taking time off to spend with family.

Categories: Local News

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *