7 Ways to Care for Your Pastor

I’ve been hearing a lot about pastor burnout, and how we need to do something about it. Many of you have probably read the 2010 New York Times article which addressed growing concern over clergy health… and recommended more time off as the best remedy.

Pastors are dedicated to tending to the spiritual lives of others, but we must as the question: who pastors the pastors whose spiritual lives begin to run dry?

A rabbi in that NYT article states the problem well, “Rabbis today are expected to be the C.E.O. of the congregation and the spiritual guide, and never be out of town if somebody dies.  And reply instantly to every email.” Does that sound familiar to any clergy out there?  

In the Methodist tradition, the Laity (non-clergy) are an essential part of the mission and ministry of the church – and those of us in the pews (lay people, deacons, retired pastors, etc.) can do a lot to support the spiritual, emotion, and physical health of our pastors.

Here are a few suggested ways to take care of your pastor:

Pray for your Pastor.  I remember my former pastor once commenting that during times of struggle or sickness she could feel herself being lifted up by the prayers of the congregation… and that she could tell a difference when things got better and they stopped praying! What a difference it would make if our congregations were praying that hard for the pastor all the time.  

Our pastors need our prayers! Is someone praying for the pastor before and during worship? Are we lifting up our pastors’ needs in our own personal prayer on a regular basis?  Do we lift up our pastors’ families and support networks, so that these friends and family will be a source of stability and encouragement? 

Honor your pastor’s Sabbath and keep it holy!  That NYT article and many other sources have lifted up time off as essential for the long-term spiritual health.  Does your pastor have an established weekly sabbath, during which they are only contacted in cases of dire emergency?  

Pastors can’t give away what they don’t have, so we need to be mindful about allowing them time for their own prayer and renewal.  Many pastors choose one day a week that is set apart, and then also try to schedule in other times during the week that are held sacred for prayer, family time, and other personal needs.  

We can support our pastors by making sure our congregants (and Pastor-Parish Relations Committees) understand the importance of sabbath.  After all, spending time in solitude was something Jesus modeled to us.  Certainly we should encourage our pastors to do the same. 

Vacation Time.  In addition to Sabbath, pastors also need regular vacation time.  In the 2020 Guidelines for Equitable Compensation, our Conference Commision on Equitable Compensation recommends that all pastors receive four weeks of vacation time (except Student Local Pastors and Part-time Pastors who should receive two weeks).  

Let’s be honest… many of us have jobs where we occasionally need to get out of town so we can relax.  This certainly tends to be true of pastors.  Encourage your pastor to take vacation time – where they actually go away for recreation and rest.  

Often pastors care about our congregations so much that they feel guilty leaving.  We can help them out by stepping in to help cover all the bases while the pastor is on vacation! 

Gift Your Pastor. Growing up as a pastor’s kid, I felt so supported (and lucky) when church members would occasionally drop off gifts of food.  That odd bushel of peaches or crabs, or pot of chicken and dumplings showed our family that the church cared about us.  

We United Methodists are great at showing love through food, but there are lots of other ways to show we care. If your pastor has young kids, can one of your background-checked nursery volunteers offer to babysit so the pastor and spouse can have a date night?  

Or maybe your pastor would appreciate a gift certificate for a dinner out with friends (maybe even outside the town in which she pastors), or a Groupon for an experience that he might enjoy with family?

Our pastors devote a great deal of their time and energy to the life of the church and the lives of our congregants.  Let’s consider how we can occasionally share our gifts and talents to support and encourage our pastors. 

Continuing Education. I love going to conferences because I always come back full of new ideas and renewed enthusiasm! Continuing education experiences are a important way that God breathes new life into the ministry of pastors.  Our Equitable Compensation Guidelines state that the “charge shall make available at least $800 for continuing education.”  

There are some continuing education experiences that clergy are required to complete every so often.  In addition, clergy may choose to attend conferences, courses, retreats or workshops that will help them to continue growing spiritual and maturing in ministry. 

Imagine having to come up with creative and engaging sermons, prayers, and ministry programs year-round! These continuing education experiences help pastors to gain new knowledge and inspiration – to enrich the worship and faith formation experiences of the congregation as a whole.  (You can read about experiences we offer, including our Voice of the Heart Clergy Retreat here.)

Camps and Retreats.  Did you know that the Equitable Compensation Guidelines also require that churches allow pastors to participate on team at Emmaus or Chrysalis, to volunteer Camp Pecometh for a week, or participate in other short-term ministries (like mission trips), without it effecting vacation time?  

This is important for at least a couple reasons.  For one thing, there are lots of ministries outside of the local church that benefit from the leadership of pastors.  I certainly know the importance of having great Spiritual Life Coordinators at Camp Pecometh.  These clergy and lay volunteers lead Bible studies, Vespers Services, and our Galilean Service.  Perhaps more importantly, they spend time getting to know young people, and interpreting the ways that God is at work in these young lives.  Many of these kids don’t have a connection to a pastor or a church, so SLCs make a big impact! 

We have also seen how these experiences rekindle the passion that pastors have for ministry.  These “mountaintop experiences” are every bit as important for pastors as they are for everyone else!  

Share Your Stories (the positive ones!) The roof is leaky… Mrs. So-and-so doesn’t like last week’s hymns… Someone’s brother has been diagnosed with cancer… There’s a funeral coming up tomorrow… Pastors hear a lot of bad news.  Sometimes that can make it hard to focus on the promise of the Good News!  

When we serve in ministry, we don’t always know when we are making an impact.  Pastors know that their reward is in heaven, but it’s nice to hear about the good things that happen here on earth now and then.  Sometimes in the church we are better at lifting up the “prayer concerns” than we are at raising the “praises.”  

Know that when pastors hear about the “God moments” we have, it gives them energy and encouragement.  We all benefit from hearing how God is at work in the lives of others, but for pastors it can also confirm the ways that God is using them.  When we are blessed by our pastors, one way we can give thanks to God is by first letting the pastor know we have been blessed.  

How have you blessed your pastor?  These are just a few things I thought of… did I miss anything?  What are the ways that your charge has cared for your pastor?  And Pastors, what the some of the meaningful ways you have been supported by your congregations?  

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