The Session: Pastors are still wanting to leave the church!

We usually only talk about celebrating our Pastors in October.  We feel like that's a mistake, and the article we base today's show on shows that.Our notes are listed first, with the article following.Isaiah 41:10Don’t be afraid for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.Data Shows Pastors are dealing with:· Increased conflict· Poor relationships· Rigid in the congregational thinking· Reduced attendance more so after the pandemic.  (about 75% of pre-Covid attendance)· Pastors in the baby boomer (born 1946-1964) and millennial (born 1981-1996) generations were much more likely to think frequently of quitting ministry.· Being a part of a staff of ministers usually implies employment in a larger church. Indeed, size is strongly correlated with ministerial discontent. The larger the church, the fewer thoughts of leaving the pastoral ministry one has," the study reads.Travis Collins, author of For Ministers about to Start…or about to Give Up, says the research is both alarming and consistent. Through his research, he found that:· 28 percent of ministers report being “forcefully terminated.”· 33 percent say being in ministry is “an outright hazard” to their families.· 75 percent experience “severe stress causing anguish, worry, bewilderment, anger, depression, fear and alienation” during their careers.· Ministers join doctors and attorneys among those with the highest rates of addiction and suicide.  8 Tips For Pastors Struggling With BurnoutBy Vanderbloemen 1. Get Some Far - away Friends.  It is important so you can talk & vent2. Amp Up Learning - Reading books and blogs - conferences will help regenerate the mind3. Take A Sabbatical - 3 months is recommended4. Find A Hobby - Golf or underwater basket weaving5. Build A Team - It could be a sermon research team6. Get Counseling7. Do Something Different - It is possible to do a ministry, even though it’s not your primary income8. Go Somewhere Else To Minister To OthersWith rising discontent, more than half of American clergy seriously considered quitting: studyBy Leonardo Blair, Senior Features Reporter Thursday, January 11, 2024The Christian Post As American pastors have grown increasingly discontent with their profession, more than half have seriously considered leaving pastoral ministry since 2020 for various reasons, a new study from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research suggests.In "I'm Exhausted All the Time — Exploring the Factors Contributing to Growing Clergy Discontentment," released as part of the Institute's larger project "Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations," researchers surveyed a nationally representative group of 1,700 religious leaders in the fall of 2023 then compared the findings to responses provided by clergy and their congregations in earlier EPIC surveys."The further we are from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the more we observe larger percentages of clergy pondering alternatives to their present congregation, vocation, or both," the research team led by Scott Thumma, professor of Sociology of Religion at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace and director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, stated in the report. The data suggests that To reach Tom Russell, please call 419-709-8447, email Tom at [email protected], or visit his website at https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com