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