Pastors

In May of last year, my church has a strong push into discussing mental health with the congregation with a whole sermon series and then made it even more impactful by inviting me to lead a four hour session on mental health for pastors and Christian church leadership. In that time, we talked about self-care as well as a powerful moment where all of the retreat members completed the PHQ-9 about depression as well as the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) survey. For several people, that was a moment of clarity where they knew they needed to address things in their life, but didn’t know how or why.

As pastors strive to serve their congregations, understanding ACEs can be pivotal for both self-care and supporting their communities. A recent study titled Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Seminarians, published in the Journal of Psychology and Theology, explored ACEs among seminarians looking to go into ministry at some capacity and highlighted significant findings that resonate with clergy well-being.

Ministry and counseling are challenging due to both positions’ cognitive and emotional toll. We carry our clients’ and congregation members’ heavy burdens, emotional pains, and spiritual scars. Many times, these are things shared in confidence, and only through supervision can we find the ability to share the burden ourselves and through prayer. So, I wanted to share five things pastors and Christian counselors need to consider for themselves in dealing with the stress of these jobs. That being said, share your favorite thing you do in the comments.

Christian pastors carry the significant weight of spiritual leadership in a world that often demands more than we can give. Leading a church is a sacred and fulfilling calling, but it is also filled with challenges that can take a toll on mental health. The pressure to be spiritually strong, emotionally available, and physically present for others can sometimes leave pastors feeling overwhelmed, isolated, and burned out.

In the hustle and bustle of modern ministry, pastors often find themselves juggling numerous responsibilities, from preaching and teaching to counseling and pastoral care. Amid these demands, the mental health of both the pastors themselves and their congregations can sometimes be overlooked. Yet, promoting mental health is a crucial aspect of building a resilient church. By actively supporting mental well-being, pastors can foster a community that is not only spiritually strong but also emotionally and mentally resilient.

As May comes to an end, we want one last push to discuss Mental Health Awareness in support of the role of the Church on this important topic. We ask that you look at your own ministry and look to see what is needed for your ministry that you can support.

We are excited to announce the release of our new Pastoral Care Guidelines short ebook. In working with pastoral staff, we saw the need to have some basic guidelines to offer to pastoral staff who wanted a couple of quick tips, a reference guide to quickly look over before they went out the door to the hospital or home for someone struggling, or as a training tool for new staff.

Last year, we shared about the new national US number for suicide prevention, 988, that an individual can call or text any time, any day. I’d encourage you to check it out because they have free resources for your counseling agency or ministry to share with individuals and post in your community or building so people know about the always available number. However, the US Department of Health and Human Services Partnership Center is doing more to promote 988 within faith communities with public service announcements.