TWP IS FOR HEALTHY PASTOR’S
Hello TWP Family! I pray that you are well. For pastors, Monday’s are great for refreshing, refocusing, and getting set for the week ahead. Today, my hope is for you to find encouragement and energy in your role as pastor, teacher, and leader of your church community.
I recently read that according to Barna Research; “Stress, Isolation & Political Division Factor into Pastors’ Desire to Quit. As of March 2022, the percentage of pastors who have considered quitting full-time ministry within the past year sits at 42 percent. This is consistent with data from fall 2021 when Barna first reported on a sharp increase in pastoral burnout, and it confirms the growing number of pastors who are considering resignation—up 13 percentage points from 29 percent in January 2021.”
42% is very alarming! The Whole Pastor exists to create an environment where we can stand along side one another pushing and pressing together as we have been called to lead in our respective contexts.
I also found at Barna that; “Overall, most pastors are confronting the same pressures and stressors—but perhaps not the same levels of equipping and support. As Rev. Dr. Glenn Packiam—author of The Resilient Pastor—writes in Barna's The State of Your Church, "We need sages to advise us, leaders to direct us or hold us accountable, peers to remind us that we aren’t alone, healers to dress our wounds and companions who carry us when we can’t carry on."
Do you feel alone, burned out, or lacking the energy as a pastor? We can carry on together! Reach out anytime! (Bobby@ahbc09.org)
In the meantime, here are a few resources I have found that bring insight and encouragement:
