Summer has finally arrived in the Northwest and summer time seems like a good time to ponder. Lately I have been doing a lot of reading and reflecting on the health of the pastoral profession. I am taking a class at Bethel Seminary entitled Personal Well-Being & Ministry Effectiveness. The preparation for the course has led me down these paths. I have learned that In the U.S. there are about 500,000 pastors serving full time. But the over all health of our pastors is not positive.

The statistics are daunting:

• 1/3 are struggling with burnout – feeling despair and discouragement.
• 2/3 are on their way.
• 80% believe that the ministry has had a negative effect on their families.
• 60% work more than 60 hours a week. 
• 50% believe that they cannot meet the demands of the job.
• 90% believe that they were inadequately trained to cope with the demands of the job.
• 70% report that they do not have a single close friend.
• 70% get less than 7 hours of sleep a night.
• 70% have a lower self-image than when they entered into ministry. 

The list goes on. Some might call it a career in crisis. One professor, Dr Frank Green says “Modern pastoral ministry is the most stressful career in the history of humanity.”

As I study and ponder these things I am reminded of the role I have in helping pastors maintain proper self-care. Thank you for the privilege of serving in this needed ministry. As I seek to maintain my own health and wholeness, my hope is to provide a growing resource base where our pastors can grow in their health and wholeness. We have a lot of work to do. Many avenues of support still need to be put into place. We have several initiatives in beginning stages.  Please pray for our pastors and this work for their well-being.