Freedom from Fatigue

One of the unsettling facts in American evangelicalism is the high rate of burnout in pastors. This essay argues that one reason pastors are leaving their churches and pulpits at an alarming rate is less a result of culture wars, political agendas, or failure to adapt to changing cultural conditions as it is the consequence of a reduced theological vision of God’s work in pastoring. The question facing the pastor is never “how” to minister, but “who” is ministering. When pastors do not have a trinitarian foundation for the work of ministering, they are forced to rely on their own personality, gifts, rhetorical tricks, and technology, and are forced constantly to generate an experience of God by themselves. Over time, this creates pressure that leads to fatigue, resentment, and untimely burnout. The truth is that only God can minister God’s self. With the help of Christian Kettler, this essay argues that an antidote to pastoral burnout is to offer pastors a robust theology of ministry that frees the pastor to participate in the divine action of the triune God rather than feel like they have to carry the full burden of ministry themselves.