The Past Few Years Have Left Clergy Burned out and Exhausted. But That Can Change, Say Experts.
October 15, 2024
A 2024 report from the Hartford Institute for Research titled “I’m Exhausted All the Time” is verifying what many members of the clergy have been saying: America’s pastors are tired.
According to Church Leaders, the study cites a decline in organized religion, the aftermath of the worldwide Covid pandemic, growing political polarization and the burden of caring for their congregation’s soul as factors in the pastors’ sense of exhaustion.
Scott Thumma is the Director of the Hartford Institute for Research and he directed a four year study of how Covid affected church congregations. Thumma said, “This is a challenging time for all congregations. They’re getting smaller, they’re getting older, they’re not as vital as they once were, and then the pandemic traumas of closing and opening.”
On top of the stresses associated with the pandemic, Thumma said racial divides and political issues have also undermined religious communities, leading to clergy burnout and discouragement.
The resulting burnout and mental health strain makes it essential for clergy to pay attention to their mental health, according to experts.
Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell is the director of the Duke Clergy Health Initiative at Duke University and says clergy members need to monitor their feelings over being overwhelmed before it becomes a larger issue.
Proeschold-Bell recommends a practice called Daily Examen which she describes as, “There’s a little bit of gratitude. And then review the last 24 hours of the day with gratitude, but also to notice what emotions came up for them during that review,” adding, “Pray on that with God, and if they felt like they needed forgiveness for anything, to ask for forgiveness from God. And if they needed guidance, pray for that guidance. And then they closed it out with, again, gratitude for the day.”
Church Leaders reports the study also revealed that having a space where clergy and their congregations can be honest about their feelings and work on issues together can help restore the relationship between them.
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