6. The pastor’s family was neglected.
“If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?” (1 Timothy 3:5, HCSB)
7. The pastor rarely took a day off.
No break in the routine and demands of pastoring is a path for burnout.
8. The pastor rarely took a vacation.
Again, the issues are similar to the failure to take a day off.
9. The pastor never took a sabbatical.
After several years of the intense demands of serving a church, a sabbatical of a few weeks is critical to the emotional, spiritual and physical health of a pastor.
10. The pastor never learned effective relational and leadership skills.
When that is the case, conflict and weak vocational performance are inevitable. That, in turn, leads to burnout.
11. The pastor was negative and argumentative.
Negativity and an argumentative spirit drain a pastor. That negativity can be expressed in conversations, sermons, blogs or any communication venue. Argumentative pastors are among the first to experience burnout.
