Pastors, Priests, Ministers and Pastoral Caregivers can all face burnout. It is human nature to burnout if over worked, or bombarded with other needs. It is important to also care for oneself and ensure enough sleep, rest and spiritual retreat is given. It is also important to identify signs of burnout and how to properly deal with it. God’s grace can go a long way but our human bodies need an occasional spiritual and physical retreat.
The article, “Pastoral Burnout and Spiritual Direction” by Kelly Edmiston looks at how pastors can identify burnout and deal with it. She states,
“I spent years ministering out of an empty tank. As a car can only coast on fumes for so long, I was puttering out. And this puttering took years. In this season of “puttering”, I embraced a “fake it until you make it” philosophy in the name of being “faithful” to the calling on my life. But the truth was, it no longer felt like a calling. It felt like a burden. I know now that I was suffering from pastoral burnout.”
To read the entire article, please click here
Pastors need time to heal. They also need their own spiritual advisors to help guide them through it.
Please also review our Christian Counseling Training Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.