Rick Warren says, “A few years back I made a list of young pastors in America that I needed to be praying for; like others had prayed for me when I was young. Today, more than half of the young pastors on that list are no longer in ministry.” In this article, I wish to share with you about a serious problem happening in ministerial leadership, which is pastoral burnout; and I also wish to propose a biblical solution.
Kent Crockett tells us, “Burn-out occurs when we give out more than we take in. We go from giving out to giving up. Cars that aren’t refueled will run out of gas. Wells that are not replenished will run dry. Batteries that are not recharged will have no power. We are not any different. A Christian [or a pastor] that is not refueled, replenished, and recharged will burn out.”
In the book of Exodus, we find an example of a God-ordained leader on the verge of exhaustion and burnout; physical burnout that is. However, the account gives us something to apply when considering spiritual and emotional burnout in Christian leadership. Let’s take a look at Exodus 17:8-13:
Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
We read here that Israel went out to fight against the Amalekites, and how Israel prevailed whenever Moses kept his staff held high in the air; however, when his arms became tired and he lowered them, then the Amalekites prevailed. In applying this example to burnout in Christian leadership, we’re reminded that no one can keep working incessantly without getting weak and tired.
Do pastors get burned out? Don’t they just work only one day a week? According to the August 1, 2010 issue of the New York Times “33 percent [of pastors] felt burned out within their first five years of ministry,” “50 percent feel unable to meet the needs of the job,” “90 percent work more than fifty hours a week,” and “1500 pastors leave their ministries each month due to burnout and conflict.”
Pastoral ministry also takes a toll on the family. The same New York Times article tells how “52 percent of pastors say they and their spouses believe that being in pastoral ministry is hazardous to their family’s well-being and health,” “80 percent of pastors say they have insufficient time with their spouse,” and to top it off, “the clergy has the second highest divorce rate among all professions.”
In our passage, we see that Moses was unable to keep his staff held high for hours on end; therefore, Aaron and Hur rolled up a stone and sat Moses down in order to alleviate some of his fatigue, and they also stepped in on either side of him and held up his arms, refusing to leave his side until Joshua had won the battle. This example shows us that the only way a Christian leader can continue to effectively minister in his calling is to have others come alongside him and help out.
In the very next chapter, in Exodus eighteen; when Jethro saw Moses judging the cases of the people all by himself, he told him, “The thing that you do is not good . . . This thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself” (18:17b, 18b). Jethro then instructed him, “You shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God . . . And let them judge the people at all times . . . So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you” (18:21a, 22).
In Acts 6:1-4, we read that when the “widows were neglected in the daily distribution” of bread, that “the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, ‘It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word’.”
Both Moses and the twelve apostles needed help, though they are considered among the greatest men of faith. Moses needed help in order not to wear himself out judging the people all by his lonesome; and the twelve apostles need assistance ministering to the widows, so they could have time to dedicate themselves to the study of the Word, which was their foremost calling. From where did their help arrive? It came from among the congregations which they were leading and shepherding.
When you see a pastor doing most of the church’s ministry alone, keep in mind that he’s not following a biblical model. He might be doing too much because he sees others as being incompetent; or perhaps, he doesn’t understand God’s grace and is operating under a works- based system; or maybe, his congregation feels that since the pastor is getting paid that he must earn his keep, and that the church must get its “money’s worth” out of him. Whatever the reason, ministry that excludes the help of others within the body of Christ is unscriptural and ineffective.
Both Moses and the apostles appointed leaders to be over certain areas of ministry; and they also called upon deacons and volunteers, delegating some of the ministry needs to them. Therefore, if congregations wish to have healthy, productive and effective pastors then other church appointed leaders, deacons and compassionate volunteers must seek out ways in which they can share the burden with their pastor; and please keep in mind that, according to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), each and every Christ-follower has the responsibility of serving in the kingdom.