11/17/21
Assessing the Health of Our Leaders
It's not just our programs that need special care...
Barna Research has just published its October 2021 survey results about the "health of ministers" before and during the pandemic, and for many, it's not good.
Coming out of the pandemic, we need healthy, energized pastors, but 38% have seriously considered QUITTING THE MINISTRY in the past year. And that's an increase of 9% from January 2021.
I would suggest this same problem afflicts other church staff too, and perhaps a good deal of our volunteer staff. See my suggestions at the end of this post for promoting staff health.
I hope the following information leads you to check-in with your pastor and staff. Please also share it with your church's personnel committee to address any potential issues.
The Barna survey also looks at various aspects of a pastor's health, including spiritual, emotional, and physical. See the full report.
From Barna:
“We started seeing early warning signs of burnout among pastors before COVID,” says David Kinnaman, President of Barna Group. “with initial warning bells sounding in Barna’s The State of Pastors study in 2017. Now, after 18 months of the pandemic, along with intense congregational divisions and financial strain, an alarming percentage of pastors is experiencing significant burnout, driving them to seriously consider leaving ministry. This is a growing crisis for church leaders in America."
Ten Ways to Promote the Health of Your Church Staff and Pastor
- Make sure staff take time off from church duties to recharge their batteries.
- Publicly support staff in the face of opposition/naysayers and other stresses.
- Commit to pay them appropriately.
- Encourage staff to take time for continuing education and time with peers.
- Encourage staff to have mentors outside the congregation they spend time with.
- Encourage leaders and members not to talk "church work" with the pastor and staff on Sundays and their day(s) off.
- Shorten meetings and hold fewer of them to honor personal lives.
- Let your encouragement and appreciation be known and tangible.
- Be a good listener.
- Be an example of someone who balances their family & work life.
