Two months ago at the 2026 Disability and the Church Conference, I had the opportunity to present a workshop titled “Shepherding Toward Wholeness: Building Resilient Leaders and Healthy Churches.” The presentation centered on a growing reality many churches are beginning to recognize: pastors and ministry leaders are carrying tremendous emotional, spiritual, and relational burdens while trying to faithfully shepherd others.
As part of the workshop, I created an infographic that visually summarizes many of the themes we explored together. The presentation was built from the research and ministry applications found in our ebook, Shepherding Towards A Healthy Ministry: How Pastors Can Flourish in Life and Lead with Resilience. The goal was not simply to discuss burnout or mental health struggles, but to offer a Christ-centered vision for how churches can cultivate healthier leaders, healthier ministry cultures, and ultimately healthier congregations. Here’s the infographic:
The reality is that pastoral ministry is a demanding calling. As we wrote in the ebook:
“Pastoral ministry is one of the most sacred and demanding callings in the world… This privilege is holy, but it can also be heavy.”
Pastors sit with grieving families, walk alongside couples in crisis, respond to trauma, preach week after week, and carry the emotional weight of entire congregations. While churches often focus on caring for those in the pews, we sometimes forget that shepherds themselves need care, support, and healing too.
The Hidden Roots Beneath Ministry
One of the central images in the infographic is a large tree whose roots extend deep beneath the ground. This image represents an important truth: what happens beneath the surface often shapes what is visible above it.
Many pastors carry personal histories of adversity and trauma into ministry leadership. These experiences are often referred to as Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs. The research presented in the ebook found that pastors experience significantly higher rates of ACEs than the national average.
In fact, our study found:
“40% of pastors surveyed had ACE scores of four or more.”
That number is especially important because an ACE score of four or more is associated with elevated risks for depression, anxiety, burnout, relational struggles, physical health concerns, and unhealthy coping mechanisms. By comparison, the national average for adults with four or more ACEs is approximately 17.3%.
The infographic visually highlights several categories of adversity pastors may have experienced growing up, including emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, divorce, domestic violence, family substance misuse, mental illness within the household, and incarceration of a family member.
These realities do not mean pastors are weak or unqualified. In many cases, these difficult experiences helped shape the empathy and compassion that drew them toward ministry in the first place. However, unresolved wounds can create vulnerabilities that need attention and care.
As the ebook explains:
“The same experiences that once caused pain for someone can, under the healing hand of Christ and a healthy community, become a well of strength for serving others.”
This is one reason trauma-informed ministry matters so deeply within the Church today. Want to know mroe about ACEs? Check out our ebook. You can also watch these videos about ACEs as well.
Burnout Is More Common Than Many Churches Realize
Another section of the infographic focuses on warning signs of pastoral burnout. Many ministry leaders have learned how to continue functioning publicly while privately struggling emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
The ebook highlights several alarming statistics surrounding pastoral well-being. One study found that:
“57% of pastors stated their own spiritual formation too often takes a back seat to other pastoral duties and 33% of pastors often feel depressed.”
Another study revealed:
“More than 25% of pastors have considered quitting, with 46% of pastors under the age of 45 saying they are considering quitting.”
Perhaps most sobering was the finding that:
“12% of pastors considered suicide in the past year.”
These statistics are not meant to create fear or hopelessness. Rather, they should serve as a wake-up call for churches to care for their leaders more intentionally.
The infographic identifies emotional warning signs such as persistent irritability, sadness, anger, and emotional numbness. Behavioral warning signs can include overworking, withdrawal from others, neglecting rest, or relying on unhealthy coping mechanisms for relief. Spiritually, some pastors begin losing joy in preaching, prayer, worship, or personal intimacy with God.
Proverbs 4:23 reminds us:
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (NIV)
Healthy ministry cannot flow from chronically depleted leaders.
Healthy Leaders Need Healthy Rhythms
One of the major themes throughout both the presentation and the ebook is that pastoral wellness requires intentional rhythms of care and support.
The infographic highlights three important pathways toward healing and resilience: Sabbath and self-care, professional support, and peer support systems.
The Church often celebrates sacrifice but struggles to value rest. Yet Jesus Himself modeled rhythms of withdrawal, prayer, solitude, and renewal. Healthy pastors understand that rest is not laziness. It is stewardship.
The ebook states:
“Caring for your own mental health is not selfish, it is stewardship. A healthy pastor can better shepherd a healthy church.”
Professional counseling is another important component of pastoral wellness. Unfortunately, many ministry leaders still hesitate to seek support due to stigma, financial concerns, or fear of appearing weak.
Yet our research found that many pastors are already utilizing various forms of support:
- 65% reported using a personal mentor
- 59% reported using a professional counselor
- 50% reported using a spiritual advisor
Counseling should never be viewed as evidence of ministry failure. It can provide pastors with a safe and confidential space to process trauma, stress, grief, burnout, conflict, and personal struggles before those issues become overwhelming.
The infographic also emphasizes peer support. Ministry can become deeply isolating when pastors feel pressure to always appear strong. Trusted mentors, accountability partners, and pastoral peers can help leaders process burdens honestly while identifying warning signs before they escalate into crises.
Elders and Deacons Play a Critical Role
One of the most important parts of the infographic is the image of hands supporting the roots of the tree. This section highlights the role elders and deacons play in creating healthy ministry environments.
Too often, church leadership structures focus almost entirely on ministry productivity while neglecting the personal health of the pastor. The ebook challenges churches to rethink that dynamic.
As we wrote:
“Elders and deacons serve as the first line of care, accountability, and protection for their shepherd.”
The ebook describes elders and deacons functioning in three major ways:
First, they serve as caregivers by checking in on a pastor’s spiritual, emotional, and relational health. Asking questions like “How is your soul?” or “How are you resting?” communicates that the pastor is valued as a person, not merely for performance.
Second, they serve as protectors by helping shield pastors from unrealistic expectations and chronic overwork. Churches that encourage healthy boundaries, Sabbath rest, vacations, and family time help create sustainable ministry environments.
Third, they serve as partners by sharing ministry burdens rather than expecting the pastor to carry everything alone. Healthy churches distribute leadership responsibilities and create support systems that allow pastors to flourish over the long term.
This is deeply biblical. Moses needed Aaron and Hur to support him when he grew weary. Paul consistently traveled with ministry companions. Even Jesus invited His disciples to “come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31, NIV).
No pastor was ever meant to carry ministry alone.
Moving Toward Wholeness Together
The final section of the infographic points toward hope and healing. While the realities surrounding trauma, burnout, and pastoral stress are serious, they are not the end of the story.
The Gospel has always been a story of redemption. Scripture is filled with leaders who experienced suffering, family dysfunction, betrayal, grief, and hardship. Yet God continually worked through wounded people to accomplish His purposes.
As the ebook explains:
“Our wounds, when brought to Christ, do not disqualify us from ministry. They equip us to minister with authenticity and grace.”
Wholeness does not mean perfection. It means learning to live honestly before God and others while embracing healthy rhythms, supportive relationships, wise boundaries, and Christ-centered healing.
The future of the Church depends in part on whether we are willing to care not only for congregations, but also for the leaders serving them. Healthy pastors help cultivate healthy churches. Healthy churches become places where people feel safe enough to heal, grow, and flourish in Christ together.
