(RNS) — America’s pastors are tired.
The decline of organized religion, the aftermath of a worldwide pandemic, political polarization — and the burden of caring for their congregation’s soul — have left many clergy feeling burned out and wondering how long they can hang on.
The title of a 2024 report from the Hartford Institute for Research summed up what clergy are saying: “I’m Exhausted All the Time.” Small wonder that about half of clergy had thought about leaving their congregation — or the ministry altogether — in recent years.
“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,” said Scott Thumma, director of the Hartford Institute and leader of a five-year study of how COVID-19 affected congregations.
Racial divides and political issues have disrupted faith communities, said Thumma. All these factors have undermined the relationship between religious leaders and their congregations, leading to clergy burnout and discouragement.
That has made it crucial for clergy to pay attention to their mental health, experts say.
While burnout and poor mental health for clergy may often be gradual, the recovery process requires a lot more intentionality, said Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, director of the Duke Clergy Health Initiative at Duke University.
That’s why it’s important for clergy to monitor feelings of being overwhelmed so they can be addressed before becoming a larger issue, she said.
Making plans for incorporating intentional practices can help clergy decrease stress and regain spiritual well-being. During the pandemic, the Duke Clergy Health Initiative partnered with the United Methodist Church for a study on mindfulness practices.
Clergy took eight classes on mindfulness techniques. They participated, on average, for 28 minutes a day for six months. They saw a reduction in stress and an improvement in their heart rate variability — the heart’s ability to recover.
Proeschold-Bell recommended that clergy try a practice called the Daily Examen, which has been practiced by Catholics and other contemplative Christians.
“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,” said Proeschold-Bell. “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.”
Other intentional practices include exercise, taking time to eat nourishing foods and getting enough sleep. The most important thing is taking time away from work and its stressors so clergy can connect and meet their physical and psychological need, experts say.
Therapy can also help, said Gary Gunderson, professor of faith and the health of the public at the Wake Forest School of Divinity. Therapists can be great resources for clergy to talk about the issues they are facing without judgment for struggling.
“Pastors and priests, people in ministry, people in caring professions, they carry a lot of suffering,” said Dr. Mary Beth Werdel, director of the Pastoral Mental Health Counseling program at Fordham University.