1. Clergy and Mental Health
Supporting pastors to thrive in ministry
Welcome. We are grateful for your willingness to take some time to talk about this very important topic. Leader should state up front what they hope the participants will come away from this presentation with.
Motivation paragraphs

2. Nearly one-fourth of all pastors (23 percent) acknowledge having “personally struggled with mental illness,” and half of those pastors say the illness has been diagnosed.
The statistics on clergy and mental health can be startling. Nearly one-fourth of all pastors acknowledge having “personally struggled with mental illness,” and half of those pastors say the illness has been diagnosed.
Source: LifeWay Research

3. A recent survey found the following:
The number of pastors diagnosed with clinical depression was double the national average.
Almost 40 percent sought the care of a clinical counselor.
45 percent sought advice from their family doctor regarding stress and anxiety issues.
On average, only half of those with depression seek help.
A recent survey conducted by the Centre for Clergy Care on Clergy Well-Being (led by Rev. Andrew Irvine of Knox College, Toronto) revealed some disturbing trends. In their survey of more than 300 ministers from six Canadian denominations, they found that the number of those who had been diagnosed with clinical depression was double the national average. Almost 40 percent sought the care of a clinical counselor, and 45 percent sought advice from their family doctor regarding stress and anxiety issues. What is worse, these statistics likely underestimate the extent of clergy suffering, since studies show that only about half of those with major depression seek help. Clearly, the mental health of our clergy is in need of attention.
Source: Breaking the Silence: The Mental Health of Our Clergy by Sandra Moll and Kristine O'Brien

4. 45.5 percent of pastors report having felt depressed or burned out to the degree that they had to take a break from ministry.
It may not surprise us that nearly half of all pastors report having felt depressed or burned out, but it is troubling to learn that their burnout and depression were so severe that pastors had to take a break from ministry.
Source: Pastors at Greater Risk by H. B. London, Jr., and Neil B. Wiseman

5. Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, claims many pastors are "reticent to say anything about their depression lest they be viewed as unfaithful to God and unable to help others."
These statistics are alarming, but perhaps most alarmingly, Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, claims many pastors are "reticent to say anything about their depression lest they be viewed as unfaithful to God and unable to help others."
Source: “Pastor, Heal Thyself?” by Amy Simpson

6. Centre for Clergy Care Findings on clergy well-being:
On average, pastors surveyed are working 50 hours. A quarter of them work more than 55 hours.
Nearly 40 percent take fewer than three days off per month.
Many ministers neglect regular exercise, personal devotions, and relaxation to find more time for serving or to avoid feeling guilty.
Reading Scripture is one of the most important sources of spiritual renewal for ministers. Yet 94 percent of pastors said that although they read Scripture to prepare sermons, it rarely nourishes them personally.
The clergy well-being study revealed a number of factors that are compromising the overall health of our ministers. The average work week of pastors who responded was 50 hours, although a quarter of them report working more than 55 hours. Almost 40 percent take fewer than three days off per month because, like others in caregiving professions, ministers are taught to pay attention to the needs of others, and in the process they rarely pay attention to their own need for rest or healing. Surrounded by the constant needs of a faith community, many ministers are neglecting regular exercise, personal devotions, and relaxation in order to find additional time for serving or simply to avoid feeling guilty. In the Canadian clergy study, for example, reading Scripture was listed as one of the most important sources of spiritual renewal for ministers. What is startling is that 94 percent of those same respondents noted that although they read Scripture in preparation for sermons, it rarely nourishes them personally.
Source: Breaking the Silence: The Mental Health of Our Clergy

7. Guide for a Clergy Leave of Absence for Mental Health Reasons
Ask participants to take a few minutes to read through or look over the document on their own. Tell them that a short group activity will follow.

8. Overview
“[In the pastor-consistory relationship] concern for one another’s well- being is a visible expression of being a Christian community. It can also encourage addressing concerns before they spiral into crisis When the pastor experiences significant stress or a crisis in mental health that impacts his/her participation in ministry, it may be necessary to consider a leave of absence. This brief guide is meant to help pastors and consistories—and their classis—in navigating a path of healing and health.”

9. For the pastor: • Connect with your classis • Seek professional help
“Silence about a mental health situation fosters stigma and gossip. Appropriate transparency communicates trust, invites compassion, and signals to members of the congregation that the pastor’s own mental health concerns may be addressed in the faith community.”

10. For the council/consistory:
• Utilize your regional pastor/classis as resource.
• Pastoral care is important. Let the pastor and family guide you as to what they need.
• Communicate with the congregation in language that is approved by the pastor.
• Maintain confidentiality to ensure safety and trust.

11. Guide for a Clergy Leave of Absence for Mental Health Reasons
A recommended next step:
• Bring the document to your council for discussion and consideration.
Your feedback, questions, concerns . . .

12. Story #1
“We were sitting at Outback, and I simply couldn't take it anymore. I told her, ‘We have a great house, we have nice cars, we're living comfortably, and the church is growing at a rate I never thought it would. I'm getting asked to travel and speak at conferences all over the country. And I hate my life! ’
“Over the next three years, I experienced days that were so dark, so difficult, and so overwhelming that I considered taking my own life. I finally decided not to do it after I concluded that it would be the most selfish, cowardly act I could commit; and that the pain I would cause my wife, my little girl, and my close friends wouldn't be worth it. But I still remember some of those long days when I just wanted out of here.”
Here are a few stories that illustrate some of the issues that pastors face. The first is from Pastor Perry Noble,
“We were sitting at Outback, and I simply couldn't take it anymore. I told her, ‘We have a great house, we have nice cars, we're living comfortably, and the church is growing at a rate I never thought it would. I'm getting asked to travel and speak at conferences all over the country. And I hate my life!’
“Over the next three years, I experienced days that were so dark, so difficult, and so overwhelming that I considered taking my own life. I finally decided not to do it after I concluded that it would be the most selfish, cowardly act I could commit; and that the pain I would cause my wife, my little girl, and my close friends wouldn't be worth it. But I still remember some of those long days when I just wanted out of here.”
Source: Pastor Perry Noble, quoted from “Pastor, Heal Thyself?”

13. Story #2
“I had a dream the other night. I was a minister or some sort of leader and was supposed to lead in something, but I was totally out of control. I couldn’t find my robe. I couldn’t find the right page number. I finally told the people I was disoriented and then I fell to the floor—unconscious.”
These words from an extremely capable and accomplished pastor point to a well-known truth:
Pastoring is pressure-filled work.
The demands of being a good steward and faithful servant can be exhausting.
It is increasingly common for pastors to become “weary in well-doing” as they strive to do their very best. Into this weariness and frustration can creep questions of self-worth and fears of not being able to cope.

14. Table Discussion
Table #1: Select two to three examples of mental health problems occurring in Scripture. How did biblical figures find support when they struggled?
Scripture ideas: Moses (Numbers 11:10-17), Elijah (1 Kings 19:3-9), Naomi (Ruth 1:11-21), Saul (1 Samuel 22:6-19), David (Psalm 38), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20:1-11), Jonah (Jonah 4), Job (Job 3), Paul (Acts 9:1-9), Psalm 77, and Psalm 88.
Table #2: What are some of the pressures in pastoral ministry that open the door to mental health problems?
Table #3: List some of the ways we support people in our congregations when they face physical illnesses. Which of these would be helpful for pastors facing mental health issues? Which would not?
Break into three groups and meet around three different tables. Assign each table a number, 1-3. Discuss the question for your table for ten minutes. On a large sheet of newsprint, have one person jot down notes with a marker. After ten minutes, move as a group to the next table, but leave your notes at that table for the next group to add to. Again, discuss the question for this table for ten minutes and have one person take notes on the sheet left by the last group. Finally, repeat this one more time.
After each group has discussed each question, reconvene the whole group together. Post the three large sheets of newsprint at the front of the room and take 20 minutes to discuss them, one by one.

15. How can congregations support their pastors in ways that are contextual and proactive?
Ask this question. Then point to the recommendation document. Pass it around if it hasn’t already been passed out.

16. Case Studies
Ask participants to break into groups of three, and give each group one case study (ideally, a copy for each person in the group). Ask one person in each group to read the case study aloud to the others in the group. Then, ask each group to decide how they would recommend handling the situation in their case study, particularly given the recommendations in the policy document. Assign one person in each group to take notes. You will also need one person to read each case study aloud to the large group, and you will need one person from each group to report to the large group the recommendations that their group came up with.
After 10 to 15 minutes, reconvene the large group. Ask one person to read the case study to the large group, then have one person from each group report to the large group what their group decided to recommend.