Success can kill Pastors!

Tue, 14 Jan 1997

Clergy/Leaders' Mail-list No. 350 


     Shalom!  Rowland Croucher

     Director, John Mark Ministries - resources for pastors/leaders.
       (Bookroom, library, and worldwide F.W.Boreham Trading Post)
                 Home Page: http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm



          SUCCESS CAN KILL PASTORS!

          "Success can kill you just as well as problems can," says
          a survivor of ministry burnout.  The mismanagement of one's
          personal life because of preoccupation with church members'
          needs can leave a minister spiritually, emotionally, and
          physically bankrupt, warns Reggie McNeal, director of the
          South Carolina Baptist Convention's leadership development and
          pastoral ministries department.

          "Compliant people are afraid to say 'no' to someone's 
          request, no matter how outlandish," he cautions others in
          ministry.  Fear of people in the church becoming angry, he
          observes, can lead to a loss of joy in the minister's life and
          unmanaged anger toward others.  Hearing people say, "I don't
          know what we'd do without you," was addictive, he recognizes
          now.  The success of a growing congregation carried with it
          more people who needed more of his time, which he gave without
          regard for his own well-being.

          "I never took any time for personal maintenance before," he
          says, but the experience of depleted personal resources for
          ministry led him to set boundaries, announcing times when he
          would not be available to the church in order to have time for
          personal "sabbathing" and for his family.

          In the absence of any organized resources for his situation,
          McNeal began a program of reading self-help books with a
          theological bent.  "I retooled my personal time with God. 
          Eventually, I realized I'm not alone.  Out of that, I began to
          sense the call to help others.  Ultimately, we are our own
          tool kit," he said of church staff people.  "Whatever we bring
          to the job is us."

          With the help of an older brother, McNeal began to put 
          together the story of his "family of origin" to understand
          what inherited circumstances and emotions might contribute to
          who he is.  From that he concluded that "food and work became
          the drugs of choice in our family."  Today, with a better
          understanding of his heritage, he continues to fight
          tendencies to let his workload and his diet get out of
          control.  He also has worked on managing criticism.  (Baptist
          Press, www.goshen.net/BaptistPress) 


          ------------------------------------------------------------ 
          Remind your congregation that, to help them strengthen their 
          daily spiritual life, they should regularly visit your 
          church library and local Christian bookstore. 
          ------------------------------------------------------------ 

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