What is pastoral burnout?  Burnout is a state of physical, mental, spiritual and emotional exhaustion caused by extended and intense levels of stress, causing the body to over-produce adrenaline. It leads to the questioning of one's abilities and/or the value of one's work.

There is a snowball effect to all these points of exhaustion. In isolation, each of these elements of exhaustion would probably not cause burnout. But when the snowball gets rolling down the hill, it forces a body to compensate by producing adrenaline. When adrenaline is over-used, it wears a person out. As each of these elements – physical, mental, spiritual, emotional exhaustion – collects speed, they begin to accumulate size and severity. When a person gets to a breaking point, that’s when the snowball produces an avalanche. One after another, each of these elements fails and begins to crush the pastor.

At this point, the pastor is completely burned out. There is no way to stop an avalanche once it starts. A pastor then succumbs to full burnout.  I’ve been there…

According to the New York Times "Members of the clergy now suffer from obesity, hypertension and depression at rates higher than most Americans.  In the last decade, their use of antidepressants has risen, while their life expectancy has fallen.  Many would change jobs if they could."  Let’s consider the numbers…

• 13% of active pastors are divorced.
• 23% have been fired or pressured to resign at least once in their careers.
• 25% don't know where to turn when they have a family or personal conflict or issue.
• 25% of pastors' wives see their husband's work schedule as a source of conflict.
• 33% felt burned out within their first five years of ministry.
• 33% say that being in ministry is an outright hazard to their family.
• 40% of pastors and 47% of spouses are suffering from burnout, frantic schedules, and/or unrealistic expectations.
• 45% of pastors' wives say the greatest danger to them and their family is physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual burnout.
• Though I can find no specific statistics (I'm sure they are out there), the pastorate is seeing a significant rise in the number of female pastors.
• 45% of pastors say that they've experienced depression or burnout to the extent that they needed to take a leave of absence from ministry.
• 50% feel unable to meet the needs of the job.
• 52% of pastors say they and their spouses believe that being in pastoral ministry is hazardous to their family's well-being and health.
• 56% of pastors' wives say that they have no close friends.
• 57% would leave the pastorate if they had somewhere else to go or some other vocation they could do.
• 70% don't have any close friends.
• 75% report severe stress causing anguish, worry, bewilderment, anger, depression, fear, and alienation.
• 80% of pastors say they have insufficient time with their spouse.
• 80% believe that pastoral ministry affects their families negatively.
• 90% feel unqualified or poorly prepared for ministry.
• 90% work more than 50 hours a week.
• 94% feel under pressure to have a perfect family.
• 1,500 pastors leave their ministries each month due to burnout, conflict, or moral failure.

Here are a few resources for you or someone you know who might be going through burnout right now.  This is not an endorsement from Ron Session Ministries but rather a few sites for your consideration.

Pastor, don’t suffer in silence…get the help you deserve.  There is no shame or condemnation for needing someone to stand with you in the tough times of ministry.  Pastoral burnout is considered the silent killer for good reason, nobody ever talks about it until it is too late.

Even though I know it is risky, check with your denominational offices to see if there is support for clergy and their families. 

• Hope 4 Mental Health - http://hope4mentalhealth.com/watch/media/series
• Care 4 Pastors - http://careforpastors.org/
• Duke Divinity School (Clergy Initiative) - http://divinity.duke.edu/initiatives/clergy-health-initiative