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Pastor Burnout

Decent Essays

Introduction

Pastors, also commonly referred to as ministers, or clergy, entering the church ministry profession largely attribute their vocational choice to a sense of calling (Beebe, 2007; Dodd, 2012; Lee, 2010; Meek, McKinn, Brower, Burnett, 2003; Oleson, 2011). Calling within a pastoral context can be defined as an obligation to live out a mission, set by God, to work for a purpose other than one’s own (Dodd, 2012). Evidently, regardless of the preceding foundational objective to their professional choice, studies show a high attrition rate amongst pastors, due to stress and burnout (Beebe, 2007; Dodds, 2012; Krejcir, 2007). Stress is an “event or a series of events that lead to strain, which can result in physical and psychological health problems” (Corey, et al., 2015, p. 58). Burnout is “a state of physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual depletion characterized by feelings of helplessness and hopelessness” (Corey, et al., 2015, p. 60). A study by Francis A. Schaeffer Institute of Church Leadership Development of 1,050 pastors revealed telling statistics. For example, 100% of pastors surveyed attested to personally knowing at least one colleague who left the pastorate due to either burnout, moral failure, or church conflict related stress. Additionally, 90% surveyed stated being …show more content…

Defined as the “investigation of the lived experience of a group experiencing a unique event, situation, or environment” (Terrell, 2016, p. 262), a phenomenological research method will bring enlightenment and understanding in regards to participants existent experiences within their pastoral vocation. Moreover, this will build on the unique human experience of being a female pastor within the Canadian church setting for future readers and researchers to study, promoting greater mental health awareness and capacity for female

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