“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” ~2 Corinthians 12:9

As Pastor we are meant to be leaders for the church, we are seen as the backbone of church ministry, and a paragon of biblical truth.

But what if this isn’t meant to be? Pastors are called to be leaders, champions of ministry, and uphold biblical truth, however it can be difficult to maintain the full responsibilities that we as a church demand of a pastor.

Pastors are often held to standards of biblical perfection that the majority of believers cannot meet.

What makes us believe that in taking on religious leadership, humanity is forfeited, and grace no longer needed? The clergical calling is an emotionally demanding one, and can cause a strain on mental health. The problem, no one is speaking about it.

There is a stigma surrounding pastors with mental illness, as a Pastor myself, I have seen how a lot of [pastors] will never admit to themselves, their spouses, or their children, or even the world around them that they are depressed because somehow acceding to that moniker erases their superman ‘S’ off of our chest.”

According to the World Health Organization, 264 million people suffer from depression, yet somehow, we believe our pastors are exempt from such struggles.

When those in spiritual leadership do share their struggles with mental illness, the common response is to pray more, read more scripture, and trust God, as though their mental illness is the result of a lack of faith and not a chemical imbalance.

Trust in God and His Word are crucial foundations in overcoming mental illness, without God as the anchor we will forever drift, however we as Christ believers must also surrender our damaging stigmas surrounding how mental illness affects our leaders.

Rather than seeing the need for therapy and, in some cases, medication, as a sign of spiritual failure, recognize that the LORD has allowed tools for healing to be available for those who are struggling.

None of us are untouched in a sinful world, and our pastors are no different.

The need for support in times of mental and emotional turmoil is human, and in fact our spiritual calling. To think our pastors should not have the same need is to ignore both their humanity, and our responsibility to extend grace and compassion.

To be a pastor is to be available for others’ heartache; they are who we call for council, guidance, and prayer. Pastorship is an empathic profession.

However, to be an empath is a double-edged sword. 

Avoiding yourself to the constant emotional needs of hundreds of different people, bearing the load alone, is overwhelming at the best of times, yet for those whose heart travels to the highs and lows of human experience it can have immense consequences.

To experience emotional exhaustion is difficult, to experience it alone is yet another layer of difficulty, but worst of all is to experience such raw emotional baggage and then have your trials be used against you by the very people you devote your life to.

At some point pastors realize that sheep have teeth.

 It is a disappointing reality that the relationship with our pastors has become a one-sided transaction in which we believe that pastors should have complete availability and grace for our struggles and yet condemn them for their own.

To do so is to not only hold them to a standard, we ourselves cannot maintain, but fail to understand the nature of church dynamics.

A pastor is not meant to ignore, neglect, or conceal their mental illness for the sake of our unbiblical standards.

Therefore, how can we support our pastors? I encourage congregants to create a safe space for pastors to thrive, extending grace and support in their struggles to defuse the misconception that they must suffer alone to uphold a fragile veneer of spiritual perfection.

Checking in on spiritual leaders and letting them be supported and loved for more than what they provide, but for who they are is another major step for growth.

Pastors do not be afraid to seek counsel and learn how and when to prioritize mental wellness.

The number one indicator of longevity in ministry is a rest period.

The number one thing that will let me know whether or not you are going to make it from here to being retired as a pastor is whether or not you take rest seriously, whether or not you actually take time away and replenish.

If you are not replenishing what you are pouring from, that’s how you burn out, pouring from an empty cup.”

To be a perfect Christian does not mean that mental illness does not affect us, or does not need to be dealt with, it merely means that it is another dimension through which God’s strength and goodness may shine.

Be encouraged my brothers & sisters, and as I speak to you, I also speak into myself.

Pastor Veronica