Durkin went on to refer to Mark 1, saying, “Jesus was being pulled in all different directions—there are people filled with unclean spirits, there are lepers who need to be healed, there are people that need to hear Jesus proclaim the kingdom.” At the beginning of the chapter, “Jesus goes to be with his Father. He gets in solitude and silence.”
“If Jesus needed that, Ainsley, so many of us shepherds need that as well,” Durkin said.
“It’s so important during this time—with all the cultural challenges we’re facing, personal challenges churches are facing,” Durkin continued. “So many pastors are discouraged because their attendance is down. It’s so important that we find our identity in Christ. And, don’t give up. Trust in him, and be filled with the Spirit.”
Earhart closed the interview with a call for prayer for Pastor Durkin as well as challenging each viewer to pray for his or her own pastor, priest, or minister.
Healthy Boundaries and Rhythms for Pastors
With an unending task list and numerous requests of pastors each week, it can be difficult to prioritize personal, spiritual, physical, and mental health.
Speaking on the “Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast,” Packiam outlined how pastors can develop healthy rhythms in our “new normal.”
He explained, “If you set your course in a particular direction and you drift a little bit, you at least won’t be that far off. But if you don’t set a course, you’re going to be adrift.”
“And so I think even the idea of intentionality,” Packiam said, “it’s not performance-driven at all. It’s meant to say, ‘Lord, let me aim my heart in a direction.’”
“Maybe the most powerful thing we can do as leaders is to embrace the humility of submitting yourself,” said Packiam. “You don’t get health without humility, and you don’t get that without the risk of some vulnerability.”
Jimmy Dodd, a former pastor and the founder and CEO of PastorServe, advocates for pastors to have healthy boundaries. He shared, “I came to a point where I was just emotionally, spiritually, physically exhausted.”
Dodd further explained how ministry insolation is a recipe for disaster. “[To draw healthy boundaries], you have to have a champion in your life.” He continued, “We need to have a massive dependence on the Spirit.”
