Converge Responds: anxiety, depression and suicide among pastors

The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 1 Tim. 5:17
 
"Please pray for me and the boys. I don't know how I am going to face this, I am completely heartbroken, lost and empty. Never in a million years would I have imagined this would be the end of his story…"

This was posted on Instagram by Kayla Stoecklein, wife of pastor Andrew Stoecklein, 30, of Inland Hills Church, a megachurch in Chino, California, shortly after he took his own life. Though I did not know him, my heart breaks over the pain Andrew must have been going through, and for his family and his congregation.
 
The devastating news of Andrew’s suicide shocked the world last weekend. Unfortunately, it is not an isolated case. Depression, anxiety and suicide amongst pastors seem to be on the rise. I wish I could say this was an anomaly, but those of us who devote our lives to serving churches and pastors have many other stories we can tell. 

Sobering realities of ministry

Depression and anxiety are as real as ever, and in recent years these issues are finally being acknowledged as a form of mental illness. It feels like we are reading more and more stories of people of all ages and walks of life making really damaging, life-altering decisions. It is a misnomer that Christians, especially those in ministry, are “depression proof.” Sadly, nothing could be further from the truth.
 
Pastors are under enormous pressure to be top-notch communicators, high-capacity leaders and perfect role models in all areas of life. Pastors are often expected to start and lead ministries to meet every demand and desire, be profound pastoral counselors, carry financial pressures and lead rapidly growing churches...and the list goes on and on. Whether they lead a church of 50 or 15,000, pastors face immense pressure.
 
The uniqueness of the pastoral role is not that it carries pressures but rather the kind of pressures that go with the job. Pastors, of course, face the same pressures as other high-level leaders (amount of work, responsibilities, leadership, family, finances, etc.). But few others will ever understand many of the other stresses they face daily.
 
Pastors often face unrealistic expectations, have little emotional downtime and perform in a fishbowl environment. They carry the spiritual and emotional weight of their congregation through counseling and managing staff and volunteers. They are expected to be available 24/7 and carry an ongoing heaviness that the work is never done.
 
Those burdens are often compounded by a low salary that doesn’t reflect their education and experience. For most, there is an unforeseen loneliness in the role of “shepherd of the flock.” 

Pastor, you have not been granted immunity

As you can see, it is not only the unique kinds of pressures a pastor faces, but the commixture of all of these elements which lead to a unique, toxic challenge. We all know that pastors are human, but the underlining expectations presume that they are superhuman. Yes, they have the Holy Spirit (like every other follower of Christ), but they also have the same emotions and the same limitations. 
 
Much of the pressure a pastor feels comes from the outside; but more often, this pressure comes from the inside. Pastors often put enormous pressure on themselves to perform. They work long and hard hours helping other people, foolishly ignoring holistic soul care of their body, spirit, emotions and mind.
 
Some adopt a false mindset that because they are serving a supernatural God, they can operate at a supernatural pace, believing God will cover all of the personal issues that they ignore. What appears noble and spiritual at the time is actually an unbiblical treatment of our bodies (1 Cor. 16:19-20).
 
In truth, we are not immune to depression as followers of Christ. We are human like anyone else. King David expressed deep woes in the Psalms. The prophet Elijah (1 Kings 19), immediately after the height of his ministry, experienced utter despair, defeat, aloneness and vulnerability. He wished his life was over, believing everything was pointless.
 
Today, Elijah would be diagnosed with anxiety and depression. Even the apostle Paul was internally burdened by a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7-10) he could never seem to be freed of, and he found himself doing things he hated and wished he had never done (Rom. 7:15-20).

Solutions for the struggling