Bill Reichart, creator of Ministry Best Practices, recently shared an infographic about the pressures of pastoral ministry. The visual is based on data in Pastors at Greater Risk by H. B. London, Jr. and Neil B. Wiseman.
So What?
Pastoral ministry is a broad category of ordained ministers with varying responsibilities. Clergy, regardless of the amount or type of higher education they have received, must be mindful of and respond to the pressures associated with their profession. Whether serving a congregation, a university, a medical community, or in countless other arenas the responsibility for healthy self-care begins with the minister.
- If you are a minister, what have you found to be helpful and healthy practices for dealing with the pressures of pastoral ministry?
- If you are an active part of a community of faith, a volunteer or board member of a religious nonprofit, or otherwise involved in organizations that include clergy, do you know how your entity’s leadership encourages and empowers clergy to develop helpful and healthy ways of handling the pressures associated with their ministry?