Burnout/Overworked

One of the topics that came up most often as a challenge to pastors was a feeling of being overworked; they were on the verge of burnout. Many people-oriented professions have experienced high turnover in the last few years due to the pandemic and other factors, but there are certain things about the role of a pastor which may have exacerbated those feelings. The following article contains thoughts shared by pastors in the summer of 2023.

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Several pastors indicate that their egos (their views of themselves) create feelings of being overworked.

Every pastor has some level of ego, but they are tired and hurting and they feel inadequate with no energy. Boundaries need to be established.

They may conflate their desire to follow Jesus with their ability to be Jesus.

We're all workaholics, often with a Jesus complex.

Pastors work closely with people, so feedback from the people they serve is helpful. But the negative comments can prevent these leaders from accomplishing their work.

The pastor's ego gets in the way of work with wanting to be liked and respected. Sometimes people's critiques are legit, and sometimes not.

They can find themselves working to get compliments or “strokes” rather than just sharing the truth and serving with humility.

There is a mishmash of factors leading to burnout, but often our values don't match what we get strokes for.

Workload

The job description for a pastor can be overwhelming. They may feel like they need to be all things to all people, and the congregation expects this of them.

There is a tremendous diversity of expectations on pastors.

The amount of work can lead to a depletion of their energy.

I feel exhausted. This is more than I can do.

Often a church will lack systems to prevent pastors from feeling overworked.

Many churches have a lack of structure. If it is not set up in an organized way, the pastor cannot carry the heavy load by himself.

One pastor described an endlessly growing amount of work to do, even when he tried to put structures in place.

There are too many things to do and not enough time to get them done. My twelve weeks of work now take sixteen weeks to complete.

In some situations where a congregation is not large enough to support a full-time pastor, that pastor will take on other part-time work, though this may not reduce the expectations of what the pastor can provide for a congregation.

Pastors are experiencing burnout. Some church planters are working 2 or 3 jobs as co-vocational pastors.

Trying to be honest about their own limitations can be difficult for pastors, but helpful.

There are not enough hours in the day. I need to be realistic about what I can accomplish.

Pastor Monday

One thing that I noticed was almost no pastors were interested in speaking with me on a Monday. This made me curious, but then a couple of them gave an explanation.

"Pastor Monday" leaves me feeling completely drained from noon on Sunday until about noon on Monday. I might do some reading Monday morning. That’s about it.

I am a functional atheist from Sunday noon until Monday noon. I tell my congregation that this is when they need to pray for me!

Mental Health

The workload and exhaustion would often lead to conversations about mental health with several pastors. While some conversations were directly about mental health as a separate topic, a few tied their mental health directly to the feelings of burnout.

There are too many expectations with not enough stamina leading to mental health symptoms like depression.

When pastors are required to work with broken people, they can more acutely feel the brokenness within themselves.

It's exhausting when my job is to walk with brokenness. I don't need leadership as much as I need care and support.

That need for mental health support has been intensified since the pandemic.

There is a tiredness and disillusionment, especially after Covid.

Unfortunately, the tiredness can be mixed with insomnia.

I can't always sleep well.

The result for many pastors is that they self-medicate when they are not able to find the support that they need.

I have seen burnout lead to depression, alcoholism, and other ways of coping for pastors.

Personal Space

Many pastors spoke of how they are always “on call” and that the work gives them almost no time for rest.

I have no days off. People invade my space during my time off. It's hard to turn off work. My wife encourages “do not disturb.” on the phone.

There is a desire to disconnect from work when they go home, but there is a fear if they do.

I don't like to filter emails at home, but I'm more stressed at work if I don't.

There are no specific guidelines on how much a pastor can or should work.

Pastors always struggle with work/life balance.

Even if they know it is important, finding time to take a break is difficult.

It is a challenge to find time for rest and renewal.

Boundaries

The first quote used in this article established the problem for pastors, but it also indicated that there is a possible solution.

Every pastor has some level of ego, but they are tired and hurting and they feel inadequate with no energy. Boundaries need to be established.

The needs of the congregation are always there, but so are the needs of the pastor.

There is an endless need for shepherding, but we need help because we don't have boundaries.

Many of the pastors were able to see the need for boundaries.

There are many factors for burnout. Everyone wants a piece of your life. Some don't have clarity on who God made them to be. They need boundaries.

When you set values to stay healthy, you may need to pull away from critical needs to do purposeful ministry with boundaries.

One concept was whether a pastor was working “to rest” or working “from rest.” Instead of working until a pastor is completely drained and desperate for a break, rest could be the fuel that propels them forward.

I try to work from rest rather than work to rest.

I liked the concept and asked if that is what he was able to do. He responded honestly.

It's about 50% for each right now.

The problem has less to do with the amount of work and more to do with the ability to be realistic about what an individual pastor is able to accomplish.

I see where my limitations are, and I don't take it personal when I can't be everything to everyone.

Closing Thoughts

The two biggest challenges from my conversations with pastors were isolation and burnout, but those are not independent of each other. Healthy boundaries are able to keep a person from feeling overwhelmed by the workload and expectations placed on them, but support from others is crucial in creating and maintaining those healthy boundaries. Such support and boundaries propel leaders into the challenges with courage and confidence to accomplish the work God has for them to do, and it allows them to let go of the unrealistic expectations placed on them by others and themselves.

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