Pastors

Madison Drake, APC

Therapy can help pastors navigate emotions that may be playing a role in their relationship with the Lord. It can help navigate ministry related stress or stress from everyday life, ultimately enhancing their effectiveness and their own well-being. Pastors and church leaders are under stress that a congregation may not be aware of, and with the help of a counselor, they can better handle burnout and stress without it showing in a sermon. When a pastor struggles with their mental health, it is usually not talked about. The congregation views them as humans with a direct contact line to the Lord, and that if they do struggle, it is not as bad as when the “normal, average person” does.
After speaking with a local pastor, he brought light on this subject and stated that he feels “some pastors feel like it’s irresponsible to seek counseling or really an emotional outlet because they feel like they have to be the ones to answer everyone else”. This quote leads to an idea that pastors may feel like they cannot have an issue, because they have to be the place everyone else comes to bring their issue. We may see this as a side effect of pastors not being taught differently. Some pastors sit with their problems because they feel like they need to be the solution to others’ problems.
As a church leader, you are considered the “face” of the church. When the stress of ministry work begins to take a toll on your body and soul, which it will, it is important to have a physical outlet to release the heavy burdens and be reminded to pick up the yoke of Jesus that is easy and light (Matthew 11:28-30).Pastors are real people with real problems. Just like anyone on earth needs a relationship with the Creator, and a little bit of help sometimes, the “face of the church” is allowed to also seek out this help.