The Reality of Clergy Burnout in 2024

Inspired by the webinar “Preventing Burnout and Promoting Flourishing Among Clergy” from Common Table Conversations, let’s have a conversation about Burnout as we approach the fall—a time when work new expectations, meetings, and initiatives begin to pile up, and your next season of rest seems to be a million miles away.

A Quick Take-Away Conversation From the Webinar

Burnout among clergy is a pressing and often under-recognized issue within faith communities. As spiritual leaders, clergy are expected to provide constant support, guidance, and care, often at the expense of their own well-being. However, the toll of this responsibility can lead to emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a diminished sense of personal accomplishment.

Recent studies highlight the alarming prevalence of burnout among clergy. For instance, a study published in 2021 found that

trauma symptoms among clergy were comparable to those of military personnel post-deployment, with about a third of the clergy showing clinical levels of PTSD symptoms.

Another study during the pandemic revealed that 75% of clergy, chaplains, and therapists reported trauma symptoms within the PTSD range, with 82% showing moderate to severe depression symptoms.

This situation is exacerbated by systemic pressures, including unrealistic congregational expectations, lack of adequate compensation, and the constant blurring of professional and personal boundaries.

For clergy of colour, these challenges are compounded by racial and cultural stressors, making the need for tailored support even more critical.

Burnout not only affects the personal health of clergy but also undermines their ability to lead and support their communities effectively. When clergy are burnt out, their capacity to provide compassionate care, deliver inspiring sermons, and lead with vision is significantly impaired. This, in turn, can lead to a ripple effect, impacting the overall health and vitality of the congregation.

So what can we do about it? Below are several resources to help address clergy burnout before it happens, or help turn things around if you are already feeling the symptoms of burnout kick in.

Flourishing in Ministry by Matt Bloom
Pastoral work can be stressful, tough, demanding, sometimes misunderstood, and often underappreciated and underpaid. Ministers devote themselves to caring for their congregations, often at the expense of caring for themselves. Studies consistently show that physical health among clergy is significantly worse than among adults who are not in ministry. Flourishing in Ministry offers clergy and those who support them practical advice for not just surviving this grueling profession, but thriving in it. Matt Bloom, director of the Flourishing in Ministry project, shares groundbreaking research from more than a decade of study. Flourishing in Ministry project draws on more than five thousand surveys and three hundred in-depth interviews with clergy across denominations, ages, races, genders, and years of practice in ministry. It distills this deep research into easily understandable stages of flourishing that can be practiced at any stage in ministry or ministry formation.
Find the Book Here

Flourishing In Ministry Project
The site is filled with a variety of resources for those who seek to answer the call to ministry in various ways. They offer coaching and the opportunity to join teams where one can find support for their ministry.

More recently, they announced a free tool to help ministry leaders flourish in their ministry and improve their wellbeing. At the moment, they are encouraging people to sign up for the assessment by joining their waiting list. You can do so here.
Visit Flourishing in Ministry

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero
Peter Scazzero learned the hard way: you can't be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature. Even though he was the pastor of a growing church, he did what most people do--avoid conflict in the name of Christianity; ignore his anger, sadness, and fear; use God to run from God; and live without boundaries.

Eventually God awakened him to a biblical integration of emotional health and the spiritual practice of slowing down and quieting your life for to experience a firsthand relationship with Jesus. It created nothing short of a spiritual revolution in Scazzero, in his church, and now in thousands of other churches.
Find the book here

The Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast by Pete Scazzero
Many pastors and church leaders today feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and frustrated that their churches don’t seem to be making mature disciples. The Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast explores the paradigms and practices leaders need to transform their church culture and multiply deeply changed disciples.
Find The Podcast Here

The Sabbath" by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Elegant, passionate, and filled with the love of God's creation, Abraham Joshua Heschel's The Sabbath has been hailed as a classic of Jewish spirituality ever since its original publication-and has been read by thousands of people seeking meaning in modern life. In this brief yet profound meditation on the meaning of the Seventh Day, Heschel introduced the idea of an "architecture of holiness" that appears not in space but in time Judaism, he argues, is a religion of time: it finds meaning not in space and the material things that fill it but in time and the eternity that imbues it, so that "the Sabbaths are our great cathedrals. This classic book underscores the importance of rest and sabbath-keeping for spiritual and emotional health.
Find the Book Here

Soul Care Conversations by Potters Inn
Our busy lives we all need a space to reflect, be inspired, and get some needed resources to help us navigate the white water of life. Somewhere along the way, you may have lost a part of your soul. The Soul Care Conversations podcast exists to help you rediscover it. This spiritual podcast is provided by Potter’s Inn, a ministry dedicated to Soul Care for leaders in the ministry and the marketplace.by Potters Inn: Focuses on soul care practices that help prevent burnout.
Find the Podcast Here

Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries
Offers free resources, including articles and webinars, on meaningfully engage the topics of faith and mental health. Their content is developed in collaboration with theologians, mental health professionals, and people with lived experience of mental health challenges. These resources prepare communities of faith around the world to raise awareness, reduce stigma, support mental health, and promote mental well-being.
Visit Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries Here