Comments on: Ministry is an impossible job

By: Barry Bence

Barry Bence — Sat, 13 Mar 2021 22:18:13 +0000

I left full-time Lutheran ministry after thirty-two years. I ended up working for local government as a child protections social worker. Due to my age and experience, I got a lot of hard cases, especially ones involving the sexual abuse of children. I did a good job (not one child died on my caseload), but after two years I had to transfer to helping families who had children with disabilities. That five-year assignment was the best job I ever had, but my two years with children and youth was the most important job I ever did. I did a lot of pulpit supply on Sundays, and I also taught adult education parenting classes,all the while looking after my elderly parents in their final years. I retired on my 66th birthday. Looking back, fifty years after ordination, several things strike me as important. Four of the congregations I served have closed. Two others have left my denomination. Two congregations now can afford only part-time ministry. Upon retirement I sought treatment for PTSD, some of which I picked up as second-hand trauma from my members and clients, and some of which arose from ministry and personal crises. I firmly believe our own self-care is too important to leave to others. I am now seventy-seven and still provide pastoral services as requested. What you call “burn out” I call “a major depressive episode.” I believe we should post a sign over seminaries that say, “Only the tough need apply.” It still hurts me that people I genuinely cared about sometimes didn’t care about me. I think most of us care about and for the people and things they treasure. A church that doesn’t treasure its spiritual leaders is shooting itself in the foot. Still, I have no regrets AND A LOT OF GREAT MEMORIES! But then, I am all about he tough love.

By: Mark Gibson

Mark Gibson — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 20:29:32 +0000

Thank you, Martha, for stating the problem clearly and caringly from within the present system, with its Christendom assumptions and the expectations of hiring professional clergy to take care of passive congregations, which too often seem to be social clubs rather than missionary organizations.

We know that model is broken, and it is also breaking both its leaders and its members. Jacob Theunisz identifies a symptom of the same problem in his comment.

The clergy wrestling with burnout are ill equipped to lead the deep turn-around (repentence) that is required, but they and all of the rest of us can play our part. The COVID lockdowns are tremendous times for reaching out and making contact (ministry contact!) with our fellow worshippers and lay and clergy leaders. What help do they need? Similarly, what ministry can the lonely and needy do? (They were the ones complaining in your article). What has God put on their hearts as care for their neighbours?

God is changing our Church and our world by changing each of us!

By: Jacob Theunisz, LLM

Jacob Theunisz, LLM — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 19:55:53 +0000

And once again, in the very title no less, the word “ministry” is assumed to refer to ordained (clerical) ministry, without clearly setting it apart as such. This assumes that everyone will or should understand that ordained ministry is the main form of “ministry” (serving). The implied refusal or forgetfulness to share ministry with the laity (there is such a thing as lay ministry, you know) may well be one of the causes of clergy burnout.