Covid-Weary Pastors

September 26, 2020 | by | For Pastors, Leadership, Uncategorized

If you’ve been battling “low-grade” depression lately you’ve got lots of company. I read that one in three Americans is dealing with symptoms of stress and anxiety these days resulting from Covid-19.

 

We’re used to crises and disasters having a time-limit. But this crisis has been unrelenting. And for care-giving professionals it’s been nonstop. This isn’t just true of doctors, nurses, teachers, and the like, but for pastors as well. Many are “COVID-weary” and seriously close to burn-out.

 

I personally know of three young pastors here in the city who have recently resigned their pastorates and I know of several more that are on the verge of leaving their churches. These pastors didn’t cite the pandemic itself as the culprit but it’s likely it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

 

I think as this health crisis continues we can expect more and more pastors will leave their churches, here’s why…

 

  • Some are just plain worn out…
  • Some were planning on leaving even before the health crisis hit, this is just speeding up their timeline…
  • Some pastors of struggling churches before COVID are now facing even greater struggles…
  • Some were already questioning their call and role prior to COVID…
  • Some will resign because of marital and family concerns made worse by the increased strain and pressure …
  • Some that didn’t quickly learn to pastor their church from a ‘social distance’ (or weren’t true shepherds in the first place) may have lost their heart for their congregation…
  • Some pastors “hired” to do a job rather than “called” to serve a community-family lack the heart investment to generate the necessary perseverance and grit…
  • Some have itchy feet and these tough conditions have given them an excuse to indulge their lingering restlessness and wanderlust…

 

Some experts expect the decline in church attendance will continue long after Covid-19 outbreak is over. Some fear it may never return to what it was, with a significant number of people choosing on line options. My fear is that many pastors will not be returning to their churches either.

 

All the pastors I’m in contact with love the Lord. Even though they may be struggling they still want to be in the center of God’s will. They need encouragement and love more than ever. It’s easy to forget that pastors are human too. What they do is incredibly difficult and, in many cases, unappreciated, especially now when it seems the old saying, “out of sight, out of mind”, is truer than ever.

 

Pastor are you Covid-weary? Do you need help? Do you need an understanding ear? The Main & Plain is here to support and encourage pastors that are serving on the frontlines of ministry. We offer pastors a series of six, once-a-month consultations with Mike Turrigiano, ministry veteran and missional coach. If you’re interested contact us at [email protected].

 

If you’d like to learn more about Mike and the Main & Plain, go to our website at: www.mainandplain.com

If you’ve been battling “low-grade” depression lately you’ve got lots of company. I read that one in three Americans is dealing with symptoms of stress and anxiety these days resulting from Covid-19.

 

We’re used to crises and disasters having a time-limit. But this crisis has been unrelenting. And for care-giving professionals it’s been nonstop. This isn’t just true of doctors, nurses, teachers, and the like, but for pastors as well. Many are “COVID-weary” and seriously close to burn-out.

 

I personally know of three young pastors here in the city who have recently resigned their pastorates and I know of several more that are on the verge of leaving their churches. These pastors didn’t cite the pandemic itself as the culprit but it’s likely it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

 

I think as this health crisis continues we can expect more and more pastors will leave their churches, here’s why…

 

  • Some are just plain worn out…
  • Some were planning on leaving even before the health crisis hit, this is just speeding up their timeline…
  • Some pastors of struggling churches before COVID are now facing even greater struggles…
  • Some were already questioning their call and role prior to COVID…
  • Some will resign because of marital and family concerns made worse by the increased strain and pressure …
  • Some that didn’t quickly learn to pastor their church from a ‘social distance’ (or weren’t true shepherds in the first place) may have lost their heart for their congregation…
  • Some pastors “hired” to do a job rather than “called” to serve a community-family lack the heart investment to generate the necessary perseverance and grit…
  • Some have itchy feet and these tough conditions have given them an excuse to indulge their lingering restlessness and wanderlust…

 

Some experts expect the decline in church attendance will continue long after Covid-19 outbreak is over. Some fear it may never return to what it was, with a significant number of people choosing on line options. My fear is that many pastors will not be returning to their churches either.

 

All the pastors I’m in contact with love the Lord. Even though they may be struggling they still want to be in the center of God’s will. They need encouragement and love more than ever. It’s easy to forget that pastors are human too. What they do is incredibly difficult and, in many cases, unappreciated, especially now when it seems the old saying, “out of sight, out of mind”, is truer than ever.

 

Pastor are you Covid-weary? Do you need help? Do you need an understanding ear? The Main & Plain is here to support and encourage pastors that are serving on the frontlines of ministry. We offer pastors a series of six, once-a-month consultations with Mike Turrigiano, ministry veteran and missional coach. If you’re interested contact us at [email protected].

 

If you’d like to learn more about Mike and the Main & Plain, go to our website at: www.mainandplain.com