Home Christian News #PandemicPastoring Report Documents a ‘New Era in Ministry’

#PandemicPastoring Report Documents a ‘New Era in Ministry’

They shared their experiences of pandemic pastoring — like the Rev. Sarah McClelland-Brown, who now pastors First Presbyterian Church of Warner Robins, Georgia.

Eileen Campbell-Reed, top left, leads a webinar about the results of the #PandemicPastoring report, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022. Video screen grab

Eileen Campbell-Reed, top left, leads a webinar about the results of the #PandemicPastoring report, Sept. 1, 2022. Video screen grab

McClelland-Brown said she left her small, rural Disciples of Christ congregation in 2020 when members wanted her to return to preaching in person. She was pregnant with her second child at the time.

Among some of the challenges clergy identified in the #PandemicPastoring report were relationships and leadership concerns like burnout, figuring out how to lead in unprecedented times and minimizing harm to others.

Other concerns evolved as the pandemic wore on, Campbell-Reed noted. In summer 2020, it was about adapting quickly to online or outdoor worship and speaking out on racial justice issues. By the next summer and fall, it was coping with grief and managing conflict within their congregations.

The last few years brought moments of surprise and delight, too. Some clergy named stronger relationships — both with other people and with God. Some pointed out their congregations’ creativity and ability to adapt to new ways of worshipping together.

Most surprising to Campbell-Brown was the resiliency of pastors, she said.

While the difficulties of the pandemic drove Peoples to a breakdown, members of his congregation picked him back up again. They gave him some time off, then gathered around his desk when he returned and told him this was work they had to do together, not work he had to do alone.

The Rev. Timothy Peoples. Video screen grab

The Rev. Timothy Peoples. Video screen grab

“I’ve said over and over. The pandemic shutdown was actually really good for us,” he said.

While it led some to leave his church, it created space for others to be vulnerable, to share their experiences, to confront their privileges and to take action.

“We finally took on hard discussions and challenges that we had been putting off for so long,” Peoples said.

The #PandemicPastoring report isn’t the only recent research to find reason to hope after years of pandemic.

Several surveys by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability show that some church leaders saw growth in their congregations despite the prevalence of COVID-19.

"The Pandemic Caused Only a Temporary Dip in the Ability for New Churches to Launch Large" Graphic courtesy of ECFA

“The Pandemic Caused Only a Temporary Dip in the Ability for New Churches to Launch Large” Graphic courtesy of ECFA