Last week, an interlocutor shared with me an outburst from a US Presbyterian pastor that begins: “Last Sunday I preached my last sermon as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Arlington Heights (a suburb of Chicago). I have made the decision.” I not only want to give up my position as head of the pastoral team, but I want to give up the pastorate completely. I no longer have any desire to serve as a pastor in the church.”
He is not alone. As of 2022, 42% of pastors in the United States have considered leaving their role, and nearly half of those 45 and younger have considered the possibility. The data comes from the Barna Group, an institute that researches faith and culture.
This phenomenon has been called “The Great Pastor Resignation.” It became more widely known when The New York Times published an interview with Dan White Jr., a former pastor who now coordinates the Kineo Center, which serves pastors experiencing burnout crises.
White was pastor of a small Baptist church in upstate New York when he was diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the same neurological disorder that occurs in people who live long periods in war zones.
Pastors are leaders, but in practice they are as if they were collaborators with all members of their faith community, and these pressures impact family life.
In addition, the numerous scandals reported in the media in recent decades have affected the public image of pastors. Instead of being seen as people who provide care, they are now viewed with suspicion. “I greatly idealized my work,” White says, “and I began to feel embarrassed telling people I was a pastor.”
But tensions in the churches have multiplied due to political polarization and the Covid19 pandemic.
“We recognize that social media, cable television channels and political debates have had a greater impact on the formation and leadership of our congregations than our own sermons,” White says.
Does that happen here too? The last presidential election left open wounds among church members. Many no longer call each other “brothers and sisters in Christ” and instead use terms like “communist,” “fascist,” or “baby murderer.”
Interviewees speak of pastors who fear being disappointed by their colleagues and parishioners and being accused of having “little faith.” But churches avoid speaking publicly about mental health issues among pastors.
Given this situation of lack of data, I ask other readers for permission to invite pastors to share their stories about the current challenges of their work anonymously by email to [email protected].