Introduction
What could be hazardous about being in the ministry? Ministers don't work with toxic waste or dangerous power tools. Pastors get to work with God's people, they get to set their own hours and schedules and very often they even have a Church-owned residence at a peppercorn rent. Anyone who is unhappy or stressed in the ministry should try to exist in the real world! You want stress? Come and join the rest of us in the hand-to-mouth, work-for-a-living existence of real people!
Well, according to Croucher thousands of ministry personnel are doing just that.1 And as, according to his figures, there are as many ex-ministers as there are those still in 'the service', the majority of those who departed seem to be enjoying less stress in the real world than in the ministry. For some time now ministers have been counted among those considered most 'at risk' for vocation-related illness, specifically stress related illnesses, and particularly burnout.2
What is Burnout?
There are several ways to define the particular problem of burnout. Some have defined it as "emotional exhaustion",3 and others as "a depletion of energy, and a feeling of being overwhelmed by other's problems.4 I prefer to address it as the surrender of an individual's coping systems to the pressure of internal and external stressors.
Block noted that those susceptible to such surrender tended to be obsessional, passionate, idealistic, and dedicated persons who were unable to strike out or retaliate their rage and fears.5 Pastors and missionary personnel in the main are certainly such persons. In a 1990 publication the Minirth-Meier team discussed the "burnout-prone personality" and described several characteristics common to this personality type.
1. They will make up a numbering system for almost anything.
2. He or she takes intensive notes in his/her devotional time.
3. He or she arrives within sixty seconds of the exact appointment time.
4. He or she constantly finds himself or herself trying to do two things at once.
5. He or she reorganizes his or her filing system on a regular basis.
6. He or she says "I'll do it myself and do it right".
7. He or she is chronically competitive.
8. He or she is highly achievement oriented.
9. He or she wants to name his or her children alphabetically or at least alliterated and,
10. He or she likes lists.6
As well as this rather humorous compilation there are several serious studies that show that pastors in particular have a burnout prone profile. In her 1992 study of Baptist and Uniting Church ministers, Meryanne Brown found "the level of burnout amongst ministers was found to be high".7 These ministers were characterized by loneliness, repressed anger, relative inexperience, and were often located in a rural parish. Sandra Tunley, whose 1993 research focused on officers in the Salvation Army, found the issues and rate of burnout to be similar.8
Tunley's study also included comparative studies and references to clergy in the Anglican and SDA denominations as well as priests in the Roman Catholic Church. Her research included testing in three domains: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment. Her findings identified that "there is a characteristic pattern of Australian clergy burnout".9 The results of this and earlier studies by Croucher (1984), Fallon and Pryor (1984) and Dempsey (1985) indicate Australian men and women in ministry across many denominational lines are suffering high levels of stress in both their internal and external systems and those systems are surrendering at an alarming rate.10
Symptoms of Burnout
Burnout is best understood by looking initially at the constellation of symptoms that are commonly experienced. The common symptoms can conveniently be classified into psychological, physiological, sociological, and spiritual groupings. However, it is important to understand that such an exercise is theoretical, as the boundaries between the groupings are blurred at best and do not exist in the unified reality of human life.
The key concept related to the physiological symptoms of burnout is debilitation. Debilitation can be described as a reduced ability to maintain what was once a feasible activity schedule appropriate to one's age and health. The feeling of exhaustion occurs at minimum exertion levels and a host of psychosomatic complaints appear. Headaches, backaches, elevated blood pressure, rashes, and hair loss are commonly reported. The individual's immune system begins to fail; colds linger and infections re-occur; their sex drive lessens and general depressed feelings dominate.11
The key concept related to the psychological symptoms of burnout is detachment. As stressors impact the individual, he or she begins to sense a loss of commitment to once important causes, goals and people. Interest in once fascinating pursuits fades and boredom easily sets in. Cynicism and intolerance towards others becomes the norm and patience becomes a lost virtue. The burnt out individual also tends to experience a limited range of emotions that are dominated by feelings of being unappreciated and easily threatened.12
Depersonalization seems to best describe the sociological symptoms of burnout. When the volume or intensity of relationships overwhelms our personal boundaries, we tend to lose any sense of intimacy. We retreat into the safety of isolation and the world of inanimate objects. The computer replaces conversation and fantasy replaces reality whenever possible. Persons experiencing depersonalization often do not feel responsible to or for anyone else. They can also become rather paranoid in times of intense overload. Their world becomes an unfriendly place.
The "spiritual" symptoms of burnout can be characterized by the concept of disillusionment. These symptoms are usually experiences in direct proportion to the spiritual commitment held by the individual. In the August 1997 edition of Trends, Croucher notes that a pastor is most vulnerable to these burnout symptoms after eight to ten years in the ministry. He says, "burnout is due to the unbalance between emotional and spiritual input and output."13 The disillusioned individual often feels let down by God. The vision and goals that seemed to be given by God seem to move further and further away, as does God Himself. The challenges that were once eagerly sought are now considered secondary to the survival, and God's care and justice are viewed as capricious. A pastor experiencing disillusionment often tends to increase their performance level to compensate for his or her sense of spiritual inadequacy. This cycle simply entrenches the burnout.
It is important to note that simply because the reader might manifest one or more of the aforementioned symptoms, it does not follow that he or she is experiencing burnout. If however, there are evidences of symptoms from all groupings then it should be heeded as a warning that burnout could be imminent.
Sources of Burnout
How does burnout occur? Can it occur overnight or does it begin as a slow smoulder? Research tells us that vocational burnout has its sources in various places.14 In keeping with the generally accepted categories of "life change stressors", "environmental stressors", and "vocational stressors",15 I have adopted the categories of "expectations", "esteem issues", and "environmental factors". In addition I have taken certain events in the life of Elijah as recorded in the Old Testament in I Kings: 18-19, as illustrative of these sources.
Expectations are perhaps the greatest of stressors upon one's emotional and spiritual well-being.16 Expectations can be divided into those that relate to self and those that relate to others. Those expectations that relate to self can then be sub-divided into those that are 'self' expectations, and those that are imposed by others. It seems apparent that burnout can have its source in one or the other or both. This was certainly the case with the prophet Elijah.
A thousand years before Christ, Elijah was, in his own mind, God's lone light shining amidst the darkness of the ungodly rule of the evil king Ahab and his equally evil queen Jezebel. Minirth and Meier capture the situation in these words:
During these dark days, Elijah's character and ministry surfaced like a bolt of lightning, in stark contrast to the life style of most Israelites. His words were characterized by boldness, his ministry by miraculous deeds. His commitment and willingness to stand for the true God of Israel, as well as his dependence upon Him, are illustrated in a challenge to the 450 prophets of Baal to a competition of miracles and in his prayers, for fire and, a short time later for rain.17
After the resounding success of the Mt Carmel campaign Elijah, it seems, was expecting Ahab and Jezebel to flee the country-it came as an almighty shock and disappointment when they instead turned in anger toward him. It seems he had contracted a large dose of what is termed the 'Messianic complex', the belief that you are God's chosen one for the salvation of his people. It was evident to Elijah that someone had to do something but he assumed he alone had the call. Several of Elijah's expectations went unfulfilled during this period in his life:
o He expected God to bless his self-initiated annihilation of the priests and prophets.
o He expected God to reward his faithfulness with ongoing victory.
o He expected God to recognize that he was the only voice against the evil of the day.
o He expected God to accomplish his agenda and purify the land overnight.
Some of these expectations originated from within the prophet's view of himself, others from his view of God. When an individual has a faulty view of himself he misjudges the tasks and resources that face him.
An overvalued sense of self leads to a sense of entitlement and the expectation that success will always be their portion. It is very hard for the egocentric individual to accept their role in any perceived failure, or receive correction for erroneous decisions or inappropriate behaviours. An inflated view of self also results in the blaming of others for problems such as an overloaded schedule when, more likely, pride is the cause of their inability to say "no". Sometimes the Messianic complex hides behind perfectionism or martyrdom.
Elijah had a strong component of both entitlement and God blaming in his complex.
An undervalued sense of self can often produce a similarly mixed complex. The fear of exposure, humiliation or comparison can drive an individual to overcompensate and hide their sense of inadequacy under a guise of workaholism or authoritarianism. Sometimes an individual's deflated sense of self is expressed in paranoia and an aggravating relational pattern where they are unable to receive or give commendation.
To a lesser extent, Elijah's expectations came from others. It seems feasible that after the conquest on the mountain there were those who expected Elijah to complete the job and eliminate Ahab and Jezebel, but I would contend that this was a minor motivation.
Unlike Elijah, modern pastors do carry the expectations of many persons on their shoulders. Collins notes that:
Everyone expects the minister to be more spiritual than the rest of the congregation. He (or she) is supposed to have answers to all theological questions and to be a model Christian with a dedicated, well-behaved family. If the parsonage is near the church, everybody can look into the minister's "glass house", and family privacy disappears. It is easy, therefore, for pastors to conclude, "I'll never make it, I can't handle the stress."18
In 1979 Blaikie conducted a major survey amongst six Protestant denominations in Victoria and found that "not only are there very extensive expectations of ministers by their parishes, but that these expectations are often at odds with the ministers own priorities".19 Janetski's 1984 study of 216 Lutheran pastors resulted in similar conclusions.20 It would be fair to conclude that congregational and denominational expectations are instrumental in applying pressure on the modern pastor. We would do well to note Pryor, who, following Albert Ellis' lead, said, "...It is not so much the existence of sources of stress, particularly the unrealistic and excessive expectations of others, but how they are perceived and responded to, which determines the outcome in a minister's life."21
I shall make a brief comment on the "self esteem" issues present in the origins of burnout. Most of this material is closely related to that dealt with under the Messianic complex", but there remains a distinctive element that warrants addressing.
Many persons in every vocation gain their sense of self from the functions they perform or the productivity of which they are a part. Sometimes these functions are further validated from the community at large or a particular sector of it. The result is a validated and affirmed sense of self. When, as it seems to be in the late 1990s, the community status of the local pastor is in decline, the expectations are still at a level commensurate with a vocation enjoying the resources and esteem of a past era. This can only result in a struggle for the pastor to retain a function-based self-esteem. If this is a major basis for the pastor's sense of esteem, they are very likely to suffer the symptoms of burnout at an increasing rate.
The environmental sources of stress are usually related to other persons or conditions in our workplace, home, or community. They include anything over which we have little or no control. Examples include moving house, environmental pollution, obsolescent Church structures, or ambiguous boundaries at the office. These all can add stress to the individual's life. When the individual is also vulnerable to the other sources of vocational stress they exacerbate the possibility of system surrender to burnout.
Solutions to Burnout
It is time for us to catch up with our burnt out prophet cowering under the broom tree in the desert beyond Beersheba. From that which follows in Elijah's life we gain insight as to how the recovery of burnout takes place.
The first thing to notice is that Elijah's physical needs were attended to. Your average Pastor may not get a home delivery service from an angel; he or she may need to take her own physical well being in hand. Nutritional eating patterns and regular exercise are both recognized as being essential for the recovery of one's life systems. It is interesting to read that Elijah set off on a 40-day desert trek, which ended in rest in the security of the cave on Mount Horeb. Perhaps there is a lesson here. Sometimes an individual needs to physically remove themselves from the source of threat or burnout. It is only when such distance has been accomplished that the mind can focus on the recovery at hand.
Once the security of the cave had been reached and his physical strength restored, the issues of his expectations were addressed. What followed for Elijah was a lengthy dialogue where God first listened to Elijah's diatribe as he outlined his frustration and disappointments. In a demonstrative but compassionate way God then showed Elijah that his expectations were both unrealistic and too small. Unrealistic, in that he expected God to work to his agenda and fulfil his desires regarding the restoration of righteousness to Israel; and too small, in expecting God to limit himself to human means and agendas.
As Elijah stood against the backdrop of the mountain, God brought a succession of natural forces; wind, earthquakes and fire, to demonstrate to Elijah that His power could easily exceed that which Elijah could imagine, but His purposes were to be met in the quiet moving of His spirit.
God then gently educated Elijah regarding the error of his belief that he alone had the call of God on his life. God revealed to Elijah that he was but one of 7,000 prophets kept safe by God's grace for His purposes. Elijah's perspective on God, His plan and his own importance underwent a dramatic shift. Elijah saw the sovereign hand of God over the total situation and he realized that all he had achieved had been God's working through him.
What followed was as significant as the confrontation with God. Elijah was sent back "the way he came" to confront all the dynamics of his past: his arrogance, his impatience and his cowardice. He was then presented with a new, less spectacular and yet productive ministry culminating in the anointing and training of Elisha, his successor. Elijah's journey from 'angry prophet' through burnout to prophetic mentor reveals to us a process that can be used for others to travel that same journey.
The pastor exhibiting a significant number of pre-burnout symptoms can apply the following process and head off the impending disaster. Similarly, it works to restore those already burnt out.
1. Establish a healthy exercise routine and nutritional diet. It only takes a thirty-minute walk at a brisk pace to reap good results in a matter of months.
2. Take a physical break from the stressful scene. It does help to draw aside and relax each day, but there is a real benefit to taking a total break on a regular basis. God's work will not crumble if you are absent for a few weeks!
3. Find someone with whom you can express your frustration and disappointments. It is better if that person is not another pastor or local church member for honesty sake.
4. Rethink any theological position that promotes a "messianic complex". The "Elijah trap" comes in various disguises.
5. Begin to "Unload the Overload" and learn to travel light. Delegate what you can and do what you have to more efficiently and for God's glory alone.
The ministry can be hazardous to your health. Thousands of ex-pastors attest to this truth. Fortunately the hazards can be avoided and the ministry a vocation of service and joy.
Notes
1. R. Croucher, 'Crisis points', Trends, August 1997.
2. M. Miner, 'The human cost of Presbyterian identity', unpub. Doctoral dissertation, UWS Macarthur, 1996.
3. C. Maslach, Burnout: The Cost of Caring, New York: Prentice Hall, 1982.
4. H. Freudenberger and G. Richelson, Burnout, New York: Doubleday , 1980.
5. J. Block, 'Some enduring and consequential structures of personality',. In Rabin,A.I.,(Ed), Further Explorations in Personality, New York: Wiley, 1981.
6. F. Minirth, et al., Before Burnout, Chicago: Moody Press, 1990.
7. M. Brown, 'Loneliness and repressed anger as correlates of burnout amongst clergy', Unpublished manuscript, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia 1992.
8. S. Tunley, 'Burnout, social support and gender in a Salvation Army sample', Unpublished manuscript, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia 1993.
9. Tunley, 'Burnout'.
10. See Croucher, 'Crisis points'; Fallon, B. & Pryor, R.J. 1984, cited in R.J. Pryor, At Cross Purposes, Kew: The Uniting Church of Australia, 1986; K. Dempsey, 'Identity and the rural minister', Unpublished manuscript presented to the International Association for the History of Religions, Sydney, 1985.
11. F. Minirth, et al., How to Beat Burnout, Chicago: Moody Press, 1986.
12. Minirth, et al., How to Beat Burnout.
13. Croucher, 'Crisis points'.
14. T.H. Holmes and R.H. Rahe, 'The social readjustment rating scale', Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 11, 1976, 213-218.
15. Pryor, At Cross Purposes.
16. C. Thurman, The lies we believe, Nashville, Thomas Nelson, 1988.
17. Minirth, et al., How to Beat Burnout, 40.
18. G. Collins, You Can Profit From Stress, Santa Ana, USA: Vision House, 1977, 171.
19. N.W.H. Blaikie, The plight of the Australian Clergy: to convert, care or challenge?, St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, 1979.
20. E.W. Janetzki, 'Second survey of current attitudes and concerns of pastors serving in congregations of the Lutheran church of Australia-1984', Lutheran Theological Journal, 18, 2, December 1984, 97-116.
21. Pryor, At Cross Purposes. And see L. Carter, The Missing Peace, Chicago: Moody Praess, 1987; L.J. Ogilvie, Making Stress Work for You, Waco, USA, Word Books, 1984.