{"id":32448,"date":"2022-09-10T16:09:59","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:09:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/pastors-face-a-growing-health-crisis\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T16:09:59","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:09:59","slug":"pastors-face-a-growing-health-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/pastors-face-a-growing-health-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Pastors Face a Growing Health Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Bob Smietana<\/em><\/p>\n

Being a pastor used to be good for you.<\/p>\n

Pastors caught fewer diseases, had fewer accidents, and lived longer than most other people, says Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, research director of the Duke Clergy Health Initiative.<\/p>\n

This went on for about 400 years, according to long-term demographic studies in Europe and the United States.<\/p>\n

There was even a joke that pastors were the last people to get to heaven because they lived so long.<\/p>\n

No more, says Proeschold-Bell.<\/p>\n

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Starting in the 1960s, clergy health went downhill. Pastors started gaining weight, adding stress, and suffering from diabetes, arthritis, asthma, heart disease, and other chronic conditions.<\/p>\n

They may still live longer than other people\u2014but that may not last long, says Proeschold-Bell, co-author of Faithful and Fractured: Responding to the Clergy Health Crisis<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe physical health of clergy is pretty dire these days,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Her co-author, Jayson Byassee, a former pastor and now professor of homiletics at the Vancouver School of Theology, agrees.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been going around saying that clergy are in worse health than the average American\u2014which is hard to do because the average American is not in great health. Still, pastors live longer,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Rae Jean says I\u2019m not allowed to say that anymore. She\u2019s sure the death rate will catch up with the way we are living. In the meantime, we live longer with worse health.\u201d<\/p>\n

Based on more than a decade of studies involving United Methodist pastors in North Carolina and other Southern states, Faithful and Fractured<\/em> lays out the precarious state of clergy health in the 21st century\u2014and gives practical advice on how pastors can live longer and healthier lives.<\/p>\n

Widespread health concerns<\/strong><\/h3>\n

United Methodist pastors involved in the studies have higher cholesterol, higher rates of asthma, and more hypertension than other Americans, according to the researchers.<\/p>\n

The cause appears to be obesity. Forty-one percent of United Methodist pastors are obese, says Proeschold-Bell, compared to 29 percent of all Americans.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not just Methodists who are overweight. The health risks for pastors are the same in most denominations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere really is an obesity epidemic among clergy,\u201d says Proeschold-Bell. \u201cWhen you talk to the people who provide insurance for clergy in other denominations, they all say the same things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Obesity isn\u2019t the only risk factor for pastors. Stress, depression, and financial worries also take their toll.<\/p>\n

Still, many pastors love their work. And relatively few leave.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s in part because many pastors find great meaning in the ministry. Their sense of calling can sustain them when the work is stressful.<\/p>\n

The authors looked at four factors that distinguish pastors who flourish from those who burn out. Focusing on the big-picture mission is one way pastors can flourish.<\/p>\n

Pastors can be tempted to judge the quality of their work by the collection plate or church attendance. But those who focus on the mission\u2014rather than outcomes\u2014do better.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you feel like you\u2019re taking part in God\u2019s work to change the world, you can endure a lot,\u201d says Byassee.<\/p>\n

Having a lot of social support also helps. Pastors who do well have more friends and closer relationships than pastors who don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Byassee says having friends at church can be hard for pastors. Some keep their distance from church members out of fear of crossing professional boundaries.<\/p>\n

But pastors are also human. They can\u2019t cut themselves off from the rest of the church.<\/p>\n

\u201cJesus doesn\u2019t say, \u2018I\u2019m keeping my professional boundaries and therefore I am a removed person from you.\u2019 He says, \u2018I\u2019ve called you my friends and I am going to wash your feet,\u2019\u201d Byassee says.<\/p>\n

Flourishing pastors are able to have good professional boundaries and still have friends.<\/p>\n

Byassee suggests setting up some clear ethical rules. Don\u2019t sleep with anyone in the church except your spouse. Don\u2019t play favorites. Don\u2019t steal money. Act like a mature person.<\/p>\n

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See also  Pastors and Churches Face Historic Lack of Trust<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Then\u2014with those rules in place\u2014make friends.<\/p>\n

Church boards, deacons, elders, or other lay leaders can help by keeping an eye on the pastor\u2019s friendships. Make sure pastors are spending time with their close friends, he suggests. Encourage pastors to get away with friends or to collaborate on projects with friends.<\/p>\n

Those healthy relationships can help pastors thrive in their work.<\/p>\n

Have a plan to stay healthy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Thriving pastors also pay close attention to their health\u2014both physically and spiritually. They have plans for regular exercise and regular prayer and devotions. And those plans are flexible.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe their preferred thing to do was to get up and exercise in the morning,\u201d says Proeschold-Bell. \u201cIf they couldn\u2019t do that because they were up too late the night before, or they had to drive to the hospital to see someone\u2014then they had a backup plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

So if pastors miss their morning exercise, perhaps they go for a walk after visiting a church member in the hospital.<\/p>\n

Thriving pastors take a similar approach to their spiritual lives. They have regular habits of prayer and Bible reading. They also have backup plans, in case ministry life gets in the way.<\/p>\n

If they miss their morning quiet time at home, for example, then they\u2019ll listen to a devotional or another Christian book while driving in the car.<\/p>\n

Church members can encourage pastors to pay attention to their spiritual and physical health. Instead of telling their pastor to exercise, perhaps they can invite the pastor to the gym or out for a run.<\/p>\n

When Byassee was a pastor in North Carolina, he made friends with a church member named Wade. The two became running pals.<\/p>\n

\u201cWade didn\u2019t tell me to go run out for a run,\u201d says Byassee. \u201cHe just said, \u2018I\u2019m coming to your house tomorrow at 6. We\u2019re going running.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Byassee wasn\u2019t a great runner. But his friend, Wade, ran at a slower pace so Byassee could keep up. As they ran, they talked\u2014about life, the church, and ministry. The two eventually convinced other church members to start a half-marathon team that raised money for a local charity.<\/p>\n

\u201cRunning became part of the church and a way of building friendships,\u201d he says. \u201cSo going for a run didn\u2019t feel like stealing time. It felt like doing my job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Have a few clear boundaries<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Ministry can be all-consuming. The pastors who thrive learn how to draw some clear boundaries around their time, say the authors.<\/p>\n

In some cases, pastors would not answer email on their days off. Or they knew when they had to answer the phone\u2014and when they could wait to call someone back. And they set aside time for family.<\/p>\n

Thriving pastors also set up systems so church members could reach them in an emergency while still preserving their home life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are ways for a pastor to be responsive and fully invested in parishioners without having to feel like they’re on call 24 hours all the time,\u201d says Proeschold-Bell.<\/p>\n

And sometimes the best thing a pastor can do is to get some rest.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re a pastor, you need to give yourself grace more often,\u201d the authors advise near the end of the book. \u201cIf you\u2019re really tired and wondering whether you should work more or go to bed, don\u2019t wonder\u2014just go to bed! Sleep will make you more effective tomorrow, and it will help both your mental and your physical health.\u201d<\/p>\n

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