Burnout: A "Cry-sis" of the Spirit

by Stephen L. Ganzkow-Wold (March / April 2001 • Volume 17 • Number 2)

Facing the malady of burnout is crucial for today's ministers. There is hope through the resources God gives us.

David was a pastor in his early 50's, having faithfully served in a variety of parishes over his 25 years of ordination. As he sat in my office, it was clear that his spirit was deeply anguished. "Dr. Steve," he said, "I believe that my faith is dead!"

These words and others from those serving in ministry have often echoed a hauntingly similar theme. Ministry, for some, has been transformed from joyous and hope-filled opportunities for service to a well-worn recipe whose main ingredients are doubt, despair, and lifelessness.¹

Thank God that there are many in ministry throughout the church, ordained and rostered lay leaders alike, who continue to function and minister with a high level of energy and enthusiasm.

However, it is apparent that there are those whose ministry has taken a much different tack, leading to a "dead faith," or to some other form of "burnout," such as extreme fatigue, increased alcohol abuse, professional misconduct, and other assorted behavioral anomalies or indiscretions.

While the term "burnout" has often been overused to cover assorted personal and professional circumstances, it is clear that for some in ministry there comes a time, conspicuous when it occurs (perhaps not to the individuals themselves but to someone who knows and cares about them), when one's "well runs dry" and the ability to function and serve effectively can no longer be sustained.

Having served in diverse ministry settings over the past 23 years, I appreciate the unique demands placed on those who have responded to the call to professional ministry in the name of the risen Christ. The gifts of ministry and the joy of serving bring great rewards.

However, other factors, such as our own exceptional needs and desires, the unrealistic expectations and demands of those we serve, having unclear personal and professional boundaries, and not maintaining a healthy balance between our spiritual, physical, emotional, and social needs, can drain our joy for ministry and bring great pain to our lives and relationships.

Need for Affection
Someone has said that if we could distill our human needs to one phrase, the best summary would be, "For God's sake, love me!" This is a cry of the human spirit that resounds deeply in all of us and if not met appropriately, can lead to a "Cry-sis of the Spirit."

In the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2)­a psychological instrument used throughout the ELCA in the candidacy process­one of the clinical subscales indicates the level of an individual's "need for affection."

While we all need affection, this scale assesses the levels of desire to be loved, including an unwarranted fear of the loss of other's (e.g., parishioner's) love. As a psychological assessor within our synod, I have noted the significant number of times that seminary candidates have elevated scores on the "need for affection" scale. If we as ordained and rostered lay leaders will unduly sacrifice ourselves, our time, and our family relationships in order to be loved by those we serve, we are in deep danger of losing our lives and relationships in seeking to satisfy an insatiable need for love that cannot be filled by any other person.

Jesus identifies the deep need in us to be loved when he meets the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:13, and says to her that "everyone who drinks of this [well] water will be thirsty again {and again and again!­ — author's addition}. Jesus is clear in his revelation that our ultimate "need for affection" can only be satisfied by God's divine incarnation.

He continues speaking to the woman, adding that "those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life" (John 4:14).

This exchange between Jesus and the Samaritan woman provides a firm foundation for preventing a "cry-sis of the spirit." As we in ministry face the joys and challenges of balancing the responsibilities of our personal and professional lives, we can stay refreshed in the waters of the "Word that became flesh and lived among us...full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

Antidotes to Burnout
The joy of this gospel message calls for our behavioral and spiritual responses and, without falling prey to "proof-texting," legalisms, or more "shoulds," staying refreshed in the spirit can incorporate the following as well:

— Intimately living in God's Word: "The grass withers, the flower fade, but the Word of our God will stand forever" (Isaiah 40:8).

— Sharing in the gifts of the Spirit ("The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control," Galatians 5:22).

— Keeping our minds and hearts focused on "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8).

— Enjoying living together in a faith community ("Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of the faith..." Hebrews 12:1-2a).

"Faith-Based" Friends
The antidotes to "burnout" listed above are primarily individualistic in nature. Preventing a "cry-sis of the spirit" is further enhanced by intentionally developing and maintaining what I call "faith-based friendships."

Ministry is often an isolating experience, be it geographical or emotional. The need to be engaged in regular and intentional conversation with another trusted friend (someone outside of our parish or ministry setting), colleague, therapist, or spiritual companion/director is essential to maintaining our internal compasses. I recommend interactions that plumb the depths of our emotional and spiritual lives.

As we do ministry with passion and enthusiasm, we live through a variety of situations that elicit strong emotional reactions and that test our faith. It is essential that we have time to review our personal and professional lives in the company of another whom we can trust unconditionally, who can pray for us, and who can provide us with another valued perspective, all of which are part of a continual healing process.

Staying strong in the faith and energized for ministry requires intentionally committing ourselves to a faith-based relationship of sharing and support.

A dying faith, a lackluster spirit, dissatisfying relationships, a hardened heart, and an unmotivated ministry are signs of a "cry-sis of the spirit." Awareness and understanding must lead to action, both preventive and remedial.

We rely on the creative power of God, the redemptive action of Jesus Christ, and the gifts of the Spirit to bring healing to broken hearts and lives. We live with the confident hope that the quality of our daily decisions makes a difference in effecting health and wholeness.

As we seek to do ministry with enthusiasm, joy, and hope, and to live with family and friends in harmony and peace, we echo the words of Psalm 130:

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.

Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!

If you, O Lord, should mark my iniquities, Lord, who could stand?

But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;

My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem.

It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

Stephen Ganzkow-Wold serves as the "Faith in Action" pastor at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Middleton, Wisconsin. He previously served as the Director for Ministeral Health and Wellness in the ELCA's Division for Ministry. He is also a licensed psychologist.

Endnote
1. In the ELCA, it is unclear how many of those serving in rostered leadership positions are deeply troubled or "burned out," but a recent Lutheran Church­Missouri Synod survey among pastors conservatively estimated that 20 percent were suffering from critical emotional difficulties and in need of significant healing interventions.