Recently, I stumbled upon an article that a pastor friend of mine shared on Facebook. The title immediately caught my eye: “Why Are Pastors Depressed? A Look at the Research.” The article struck home.
Ministry is difficult, even for the strongest and most faithful servant.
I grew up in a relatively healthy church and enjoyed deep friendships with the ministers, especially with my youth minister. As a teenager, I committed myself to vocational ministry. Then, when I was in Bible college, I spent two years traveling to churches, camps and conferences from New York to Florida and from Illinois to Virginia. To that point, my only experience had been in my home church. And, I was profoundly impacted by what I witnessed as I got to know dozens of church leaders. They were stressed. They were navigating difficult relationships in their churches and communities. Their families were under the microscope. They were lonely. (It wasn’t all bad news, of course. I had as many – if not more – interactions with healthy leaders in thriving churches.) I emerged from that experience with a huge desire to minister to ministers as I served in ministry. This desire has only grown as I’ve had the privilege of serving – and sometimes struggling – beside men and women who are Kingdom workers in the truest sense.
I’m excited for this chapter in my ministry and I’m thrilled that my role at Sheltering Wings allows me to interact with you. If I learned anything during nearly two decades in local church ministry, it’s this:
Fellow ministers, we need one another.
The article I mentioned at the beginning of this email pinpoints “lack of support from fellow clergy” as one of the biggest reasons ministers continue to struggle emotionally. Stated positively, a greater percentage of ministers would thrive in ministry if they were supported by fellow ministers.
So, let’s do that! Let’s begin a conversation about how we can support one another.
Please be encouraged. At Sheltering Wings, we’re keenly aware of – and extremely grateful for – the work you do as the leaders of the congregations in our community. Your ministries matter. With God’s help, you are making a difference, not only in the here-and-now but in eternity. We would be honored to do whatever we can do to support you as you serve.
Serving Him together,
Kevin Carr
Development & Communications Officer
