Caring for Our Shepherds Book Release

Pastors play a fundamental role in churches across the globe, yet more and
more are finding themselves struggling with the stress of ministry life and
experiencing burnout. The consequences of pastoral burnout can be severe
and impact not only individuals’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being, but spillover to their families and congregations as well. Despite this increasingly common problem, the subject of pastors and their unique experiences has not been well studied. Caring for our Shepherds is written to pastors and for pastors. In this book, researchers on pastoral burnout, Thomas V. Frederick, Yvonne Thai, and Scott Dunbar answer the questions: what is pastoral or ministry burnout, how can it be guarded against, and how can we help those experiencing it? The reader will not only develop a deeper understanding for the demands of ministry, but also be provided with specific practical and spiritual frameworks to cope with those demands in ways that promote a positive and healthy mindset. Caring for our Shepherds is an excellent resource not only for those in ministry, but to those who desire to pour back into those who serve in the church.

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Q&A With the Authors

What was your motivation for writing this book?

Thai: Years ago, I lost the lead pastor of our church to suicide, and this was the motivation and driving force for our team to pour ourselves into researching and publishing on pastoral burnout, a topic that we would come to find was not well studied.

Dunbar: Yeah, in the years we have spent talking with pastors, pastoral staff, and ministry leaders, we have learned about the unique stressors associated with pastoring and ministering.

Frederick: This is why we founded the Center for Pastoral Renewal and, in part, why we wrote this book. Our book is based on our psychological research on coping with pastoral burnout. In it, we provide Christian spiritual resources to deal with the distinctly spiritual nature of pastoral burnout.

What qualifies you to write on this topic?

Dunbar: We hold doctorates in our respective fields and are tenured professors at California
Baptist University. Our disciplines span across Psychology, Theology, Sociology, and Business.

Frederick: Together we have published multiple chapters, empirical research studies, and books on
the topics of burnout, spirituality, work-life balance, and emotional well-being. We have also presented our research findings and publications at academic conferences and continue to conduct peer-reviewed
research studies.

Thai: Also, we have spoken at pastoral conferences and trainings and partnered with ministries overseeing
pastoral care. It is very important to us to be able to speak directly to the pastorate and church leaders
because they are the population we are trying to serve.

What is this book about?

Frederick: Pastors play a fundamental role in churches across the globe, yet more and more are finding
themselves struggling with the stress of ministry life and experiencing burnout.

Dunbar: Right, the consequences of pastoral burnout can be severe and impact not only individuals’
physical, mental, and emotional well-being, but spill over to their families and congregations as well.
Frederick: Despite this increasingly common problem, the subject of pastors and their unique experiences has not been well studied.

Thai: In this book, we answer the questions: what is pastoral or ministry burnout, how can it be
guarded against, and how can we help those experiencing it.

Frederick: The reader will not only develop a deeper understanding for the demands of ministry, but also
be provided with specific practical and spiritual frameworks to cope with those demands in ways that
promote a positive and healthy mindset.

What is unique about this book when compared to other books on this topic?

Frederick: Caring for our Shepherds is unique in that it combines three important aspects of Christian
pastoring. First, our book is based on our psychological research on coping with pastoral burnout.
Second, our book describes the importance of calling, specifically tied into our identity in Christ, as a
resource for pastors dealing with burnout. Finally, we provide Christian spiritual resources to deal
with the spiritual nature of pastoral burnout. Specifically, since pastoral burnout is primarily a spiritual
issue, we present Christian spiritual practices as a means to reinvigorate the spiritual depletion aspect of
pastoral burnout.

Who should be reading this book?

Thai: This book is written to pastors, for pastors, and to those who care about pastors. It speaks directly
to the unique stressors and demands pastors experience in their roles and the consequences that they face.

Frederick: The book provides spiritual and psychological resources to cope with stressors leading to
burnout. It is also intended for ministry and church leaders and those who support them in these roles.

Where can your readers go for more resources and to learn more about this topic?

Dunbar: Readers who are interested on the topic of pastoral support and care can find more resources at
our website: https://centerforpastoralrenewal.com/

Frederick: Here they will find self-assessment tools, additional recommendations for resources, our podcast featuring pastors across the nation, and blogs on issues related to pastoral support and care.

Thai: They can also connect with us on Instagram. Our handle is: @centerforpastoralrenewal. Please
consider following us to hear more from pastors across the nation. We would love to form a community
for pastors, ministry, and church leaders to connect with us and with each other!

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Praise for “Caring for Our Shepherds: Understanding and Coping with Burnout as a Pastor”

“Caring for Our Shepherds is a clearly written and very helpful book on understanding and coping with
burnout as a pastor. Frederick, Thai, and Dunbar provide practical ways of managing pastoral burnout,
including spiritual disciplines and four Christian devotional meditation practices of lectio divina, the Jesus
Prayer, centering prayer, and the examen. Highly recommended!”
— Siang-Yang Tan, senior professor of clinical psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary

“This book provides a practical conceptual overview of understanding the unique aspects of ministry
burnout and how to care for those experiencing it. The authors provide practical ways for spiritual
disciplines to be developed in a minister’s lifestyle to enhance their personal and ministry health. The
reader will discover a pathway to respond to their own ministry struggles as well as help others within their circle of influence.”
— Roger A. Yancey, executive director, Tryon Evergreen Baptist Association

“Mindfully constructed for the busy and burdened pastor with direct, insightful information and practical
steps, Caring for Our Shepherds is a necessary read for all pastors in ministry.”
— Cody Bockelkamp, biblical counselor

Intrusive Demands in Ministry and Burnout

In an age of 1-click shopping, mobile ready orders, and real-time news updates in the palm of
our hand, these are unprecedented times. As with all good things, it is necessary to consider the
bad and ugly. Perhaps one unintended consequence of an “on-demand” mentality is the
availability of pastors. While many people experience some carry-over from work life to
personal or home life, pastors are uniquely situated in a position that regularly requires them to
care for others, even when “off the clock.” Pastors are also open to scrutiny, which can involve
family members. Taken together, intrusive demands in ministry lead to burnout.

Nearly a quarter century ago, four factors emerged from the Ministry Demands Inventory that
load onto intrusive demands among clergy. Given technological advances in communication and
anonymity afforded by online reviews, one could speculate through reasoned argument that
demands have only intensified since then. The intrusive demands noted by the Ministry
Demands Inventory and studied by Lee (1999) include the following.

1. Personal criticism of the minister. Criticism comes in many different varieties.
Sometimes criticism propels the receiver forward, in the form of offering valuable
feedback. In other instances, criticism may be unhelpful or even hurtful. Pastors may
even experience abusive remarks from others. Notice that the literature states “personal”
criticism. What happens when others are personally critical of us? We might have the
tendency to become cynical of others, which is one element related to burnout (Maslach,
Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001). Examples of personal criticism from the inventory include,
“A member questioned your devotion to the ministry” and “A member voiced doubts to
you directly about your faith” (Lee, 1999, p. 482).

2. The presumptive expectations of the minister’s flexibility and availability on the part of
the congregation. Prevailing attitudes that pastors can communicate or adjust their
schedules makes way for intrusive demands. An important note here is that some pastors
have work responsibilities in other areas, in addition to the ministry. According to
Lifeway Research (2019), 26% of pastors report being bi-vocational (having another
job—paid or unpaid—on top of their ministry role). Examples of presumptive
expectations from the inventory include, “Your sleep was interrupted by a phone call
from a member” and “You were asked to perform some ministry task at the last minute”
(Lee, 1999, p. 482).

3. Boundary ambiguity. For pastors and their families, stressors that relate to boundaries
include “issues surrounding time, mobility, congregational fit, space, isolation, and
intrusions” (Hill, Darling, & Raimondi, 2008, p. 147). Examples of boundary ambiguity
include, “A member came by your home unannounced” and You were approached by a
member in a public place, outside of church” (Lee, 1999, p. 482).

4. Criticism of the minister’s family. Colloquially speaking, pastors’ families live in
“glass houses.” This inescapable reality is likely to draw a smirk from any “PK”
(pastor’s kid). Consider some of the example prompts from the inventory. “A member
complained to you about someone in your family” and “A member raised questions about
how you or your family spend money” (Lee, 1999, p. 482).
Coping with intrusive demands

Everyone copes with intrusive demands differently. Additionally, contextual variables will
dictate appropriate preventative strategies and interventions for intrusive demands. With this in
mind, consider some of the suggestions below to help you mitigate this precipitating factor for
burnout.

1. Now that you know the predominant ways that intrusive demands occur, make a list of
your personal experiences of others demanding your time, attention, or services. Kick
boundary ambiguity in the teeth by establishing well defined boundaries. Enlist the
services of an accountability partner to help you stick with the plan.

2. Be relational with a purpose that is congruent with your identity. Differentiation of self
(DoS) sets a framework for health relationships. DoS is “the ability to maintain
relationships with others that are based on one’s core identity commitments. It describes
how one lives out one’s core values and identity commitments while engaging in
meaningful relationships” (Frederick et al., 2023). In a recent study by Frederick et al.
(2023), DoS was found to protect against personal burnout by acting as a resource.
While it is impossible to control criticisms, the company we hold as differentiated beings
may serve us well in spite of those criticisms.

3. Go to therapy. Personal criticisms that go unchecked can inform closely held beliefs
about self. Those beliefs can be internalized to create core beliefs, which inform the way
we view ourselves and the world around us. Therapy can help address core beliefs to
shape new, life-giving thoughts.

4. Pray that God would reduce the quantity and intensity of intrusive demands in your
ministry. Pray that God would give you strength and provision to continue your ministry
calling! We are praying alongside of you!

5. Cognitive therapy is often a treatment of choice when instances of negative thought
patterns predominate. One aspect of cognitive therapy includes changing our thoughts.
Reframing how we internalize messages of intrusive demands, especially those involving
criticism, may lead to healthier outcomes. For example, a former colleague told me that
one of his students was praying for him during class, instead of recognizing what was
truly going on—the student had fallen asleep. Perhaps we shouldn’t lie to ourselves,
instead can open ourselves up to alternative possibilities.

6. Be reflective rather than reactive. Sometimes simply scheduling time in our day to be
reflective about daily circumstances can offer perspective. Metacognition includes
thinking about thinking. Actively monitor the ways in which intrusive demands impacts
your thinking.

References
Frederick, T. V., Thai, Y., Dunbar, S. E., Ardito, R., Eichler, K., Kidd, K., Carrera, J., & Almero,
M. (2023). The effects of role differentiation among clergy: Impact on pastoral burnout
and job satisfaction. Pastoral Psychology, Retrieved on January 26, 2023, at
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-022-01052-w.

Hill, E. W., Darling, C. A., & Raimondi, N. M. (2003). Understanding boundary-related stress in
clergy families. Marriage & family review, 35(1-2), 147-166.

Lee, C. (1999). Specifying intrusive demands and their outcomes in congregational ministry: A
report on the Ministry Demands Inventory. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion,
38(4), 477-489.

Lifeway Research. (2019). More than half of pastors started their careers outside the church.
Retrieved on January 26, 2023, at https://research.lifeway.com/2019/01/11/more-than-
half-of-pastors-started-their-careers-outside-the-church/.

Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Leiter, M. P. (2001). Job Burnout. Annual Review of
Psychology, 52(1), 397-422.

Guest author: Brent Moore, PhD, LCPC

Developing Spiritual Goals

Now that the new year is beginning and the business associated with this time is passing, perhaps it is a
good space to begin identifying goals for the new year. Did you set goals last year? If so, were you
successful in achieving your goals? My wife and I sit down each year and write goals for the upcoming
year. We have categories such as marriage, kids, finances, work, and spirituality. To be honest, we set
these goals and tend to lose track over time. The focus of this blog is developing spiritual goals with the
intent of continued follow-up throughout the year. Let’s start with how to set goals.

I have found the best way to set goals is through the S.M.A.R.T. goals concept. The acronym stands for
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timebound. Specific can be thought of as being exact
and clear-cut; measurable means that the goals can be quantified; attainable means that you can
achieve the goal; realistic means that goal is within reach; and timebound ensures there is an end date
or ending time of the goal. Let’s see how this works out for a common goal – losing weight.

We might have a goal of losing weight at the beginning of the new year. How would this goal look using
the S.M.A.R.T. goals concept? I want to lose 5 pounds by May 1 st of this year. Losing 5 pounds is
specific; measuring your current weight and subtracting weight makes this measurable; understanding
my height, current body weight, diet, exercise routine, etc. makes this attainable within the timeframe;
losing 5 pounds is within reach (a goal of losing 25 pounds may seem great, but it may not be within
reach in the given timeframe); and the end date of May 1 st ensures the goal is time sensitive in nature. I
can set milestones to see if I am making progress towards achieving this goal. For example, half-way
through the goal, February 14th, I should have lost 2.5 pounds. Breaking our goals into manageable
chunks helps us to achieve and celebrate mini-milestones; this also keeps us motivated. Now that we
understand S.M.A.R.T. goals, how can we apply this to creating and achieving spiritual goals?

Another way to think about this goal is becoming more Christlike. That is, our spiritual goal is to
ultimately feel and act like Jesus. Spiritual goals help us to grow closer to God, better serve others in
His kingdom, to bear fruit, and become more of the person God created us to be. Do you have spiritual
goals for this year? If so, continue. If not, I recommend taking time to pray and fast with the intent of
learning what goals God has for you this year. The fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23 which is
a great place to start when thinking about spiritual goals. The fruit of the Spirit are love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Is God wanting you to grow in
any of these areas? Titus 1:5-9 is another great place to start when looking to set spiritual goals. These
passages talk about the qualities of church elders or church leaders. Examples of these qualities include
being above reproach, not being arrogant, not having a quick temper, and not being violent. James
1:19-21 can also help us create spiritual goals. These verses speak of being quick to listed, slow to
speak, and ridding oneself of moral filth. Lastly, I recommend speaking with those that are closest to
you and asking them for potential areas of spiritual growth. Be careful with this suggestion, as it
requires honesty and a thick skin! Do not start this conversation if both parties are not 100% ready.
Let’s look at creating a S.M.A.R.T. goal related to self-control – creating work and home boundaries.

Serving parishioners is part of a Pastor’s role. However, you may feel the need to respond to all
requests at all times of the day. Let’s create a S.M.A.R.T. goal related to work boundaries: “I will not
check work emails or text messages from 5:30 pm – 7:00 am on workdays and not on my days off.” This goal is specific as it refers to emails and texts only. This goal is measurable. A simple measurement
would be recording the number of times you checked work-related emails and texts during the
designated down times. This goal is attainable, although an outgoing auto-response may be necessary
(i.e., “I am away from the office at the moment, but I will respond tomorrow morning. If this is a true
emergency, please contact Pastor Smith.” Only you will know if the goal is truly attainable. The goal is
within reach/realistic. As with the attainable component, only you will know if this goal is realistic based
upon your role and responsibilities. Lastly, this goal is bound by times; The time period of 5:30 pm –
7:00 am and the additions of workdays versus days off makes the goal time-bound. This goal is only an
example and should not be used without considerations for your specific role and expectations. Such a
goal should be discussed with your boss and family prior to starting.

There is one essential steps after setting your spiritual goals – accountability. Share your spiritual goals
with your spouse, or another person who has the strength and integrity to hold you accountable. In our
previous weight loss example, having a gym partner will help me get to the gym regularly. Additionally,
including the person who does the grocery shopping and cooking in your household, if this is not you,
can help you achieve your goals through a proper diet. Lastly, celebrate your goals! If you are on track
and meeting your mini-milestones, celebrate! Share with your successes with your accountability
partners. Also, share if you are not meeting your mini-milestone, as your accountability partners can
offer encouragement and offer ways to get you back on track. Lastly, include God in every step. Your
spiritual goals should center on His will for your growth. He loves you and wants the best for you!