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Sean Nemecek on the ‘Long, Slow Slide’ Into Burnout and How Pastors Can Avoid It

“[Pastors] are afraid to talk about [burnout]. They’re afraid they’re going to be rejected. They don’t want people to see what’s really going on. But the only way to recover in this space is to admit that there’s that problem.”

“I find that most church boards that I’ve seen and the pastors that I coach through burnout will be somewhat receptive or very receptive to the fact [a pastor is burning out]. They probably see it before the pastor does. They know that there’s something wrong.”

“It does happen from time to time that a pastor is a misfit for the role that they’re in. In fact, that was one of the things that I realized about myself being in a rural church. I had grown up in the city all my life and there were just some cultural things that were always going to get in the way that contributed to my burnout.”

“The initial stages [of burnout] are those compromises that I talked about, those small changes that we’re making in our leadership over a long period of time. Those probably won’t be noticed until we’re well into that. When we start feeling that sense of frustration, the anxiety, the bitterness, the cynicism, those are the signs that we’re well into burnout.”

“One of the things I’ve found is that we cannot recover from burnout on our own. We need people who can speak into our lives.”

“When you’re deep into burnout, it really does feel like a place of hopelessness.”

“I find that leaders who do the work to recover from burnout end up being better leaders in the long run. And it can actually be a bit of a blessing to them.”

“First, [when you’re getting healthy again], you’re going to be relationally connected again. You have people in your life who can help you see the big picture and who love being around you just because they like you. So you’ve got good, healthy friendships, good accountability, relationships. You’re able to be open and honest with people. You’ve learned to lead with a little bit of vulnerability so that you can take some risks. But really, I think the core of all this is having a sense of identity and security that’s rooted in Christ.”

“When you set boundaries, when you change the way you lead, the people around you are going to get upset. That’s just the nature of change.”

“I think it is possible to avoid [burnout], although there may be some leaders who actually have to go through this before they learn the lessons of resilience. Sometimes there’s a certain level of pain that we have to experience before we’re willing to admit that we need to change.”

“One of the things I challenge pastors to do is to take one day a month for a prayer retreat where they review their previous month, figure out where they noticed God’s presence and where they were oblivious to God and to confess what they need to confess and then to look forward to the next month with that same lens.”

“If we don’t care for our own soul, we’re not really qualified to lead the church.”

“The rhythms of Jesus in work and rest, I think, are so important. When I was recovering from burnout, I started noticing in the Gospels the number of times Jesus withdraws from the crowd, where he goes off by himself to pray.”

“I think that’s really the key to to all of this, is that deep relationship, knowing just how much the Father loves us in Christ, how deeply and permanently loved we are, how secure we are, and then from that overflow of love to minister to others.”

Mentioned in the Show

John 4:34

The Weary Leader’s Guide to Burnout: A Journey from Exhaustion to Wholeness”by Sean Nemecek

Hope Renewed Podcast
Pastor-in-Residence Ministries
Pro D assessment

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