WEIGHT ON THE ARCH
A recent study conducted by a research center found that a growing number of clergypersons are leaving their vocation or are tempted to do so. Being the son of a minister, I was already aware of the toll that the position takes on people. I remember my father having to conduct a funeral before officiating at a wedding and then heading to a hospital to visit someone headed for surgery. Talk about experiencing an emotional rollercoaster.
Probably because I was a minister’s son, in my adult life I’ve frequently established close relations with clergypersons. There is little that they’re experiencing that I’m not familiar with, and they know I will not judge.
But the recent research focused on new challenges facing those in ministry. Consider the impact of the pandemic on attendance at worship services. During the pandemic years, many members of faith communities got used to staying away from in-person worship—a pattern that has been hard to reverse. Lower attendance and reduced giving have led to more pressure on budgets and programming.
Consider also how the divisions in the country have affected faith communities. The same political divide found in our society as a whole is found in many congregations. Consider the psychological and Ideological gulf separating members of faith communities that watch Fox News from those who are loyal to MSNBC. Clergypersons must serve both groups.
Related to the divisions in the country is the increased general anxiety. Americans feel less secure, less confident about the future, and more susceptible to social media outlets that stoke fear and worry. Fear, worry, and depression frequently lead to people lashing out, and these explosions are increasingly aimed at clergypersons and educators.
Finally, the trend seems to be for Americans to behave increasingly like consumers when it comes to membership in faith communities. Clergypersons feel pressure to be impressive, entertaining, comforting, popular, and non-controversial. The role of the clergyperson as prophet, the one whose vocation is not just to comfort the afflicted but also to afflict the comfortable, is often seen as too risky.
Someone once compared a meaningful and satisfying life to an ancient stone arch in perfect balance. A well-built and well-balanced stone arch will hold up a wall for generations as long as there is not too much weight or too little weight on the arch. Too little weight on the arch and the stones collapse. Similarly, insufficient meaning in a person’s life will also lead to problems. But too much weight on the arch and the wall will also collapse.
Clergypersons seem to be currently suffering from too much weight on their shoulders. Ironically, people unfamiliar with the demands of ministry tend to view clergypersons as having an easy life. When I was young, some of my friends thought my father worked only on Sundays. Others assumed my father received all the money that was put in the offering plates. Even some of the people in my father’s churches thought he should be available the second their families were in crisis.
Ministry looks easy from the outside, but I know firsthand that there are few vocations as mentally and spiritually demanding for clergypersons and their families. A question that every faith community should ask is “Who ministers to the minister?” Clergypersons prepare for every service aware of the spiritual needs of their congregations, but who addresses the spiritual needs of the person up front?
Take a moment to tell clergypersons you know that you appreciate all they do for their communities. If you want to surprise them, ask how you can best support their spiritual health and growth.