Wounded Pastors

You’re not alone in your ministry. And you don’t have to suffer in silence. Ministry is a stressful vocation, with unspoken expectations, projected anxieties, and conflicting demands. After the pandemic caused a sudden shift to online worship and factions fighting over when and how to return to in-person worship, pastors have been leaving congregational ministry at even higher rates than usual. The emotional fallout of burnout and abuse at the hands of parishioners is something pastors carry for years, whether they stay or leave the congregation. Seasoned pastor Carol Howard Merritt and psychotherapist and former pastor James Fenimore join their expertise to offer validation, support, and guidance for pastors who have been hurt by the church. With wisdom that can come only from experience, they describe and define aspects of struggle and pain readers may have difficulty articulating or claiming for themselves, and they offer compassionate, informed guidance on how to find healing. A systems approach to conflict sheds light on the dynamics of church conflict and how clergy can tend their own well-being amid leadership challenges. The final chapter helps readers consider their overall vocational path based on what they’ve experienced and decide whether they can remain in congregational ministry or need to pursue a different line of work.

Shepherding is a dangerous profession. Drawing from personal encounters with actual shepherds in Israel and years of ministry, Bishop T.D. Jakes and Stanley Miller provide unique insights into the hazards faced by pastors today.h

A deft mix of personal experience and in-depth research, this resource will help wounded men and women of all ministerial positions learn how to recover from antagonism from church members.

The purpose of this book is to help pastors regain their spiritual perspective in the trials of ministry by understanding how suffering is used by God to develop the pastor and the church. It comes along wounded pastors to offer comfort and encouragement.

Practical Ways to Support and Care for Your Pastor Do you pray for your pastors? Do you encourage them? Do you have realistic expectations for them? The office of pastor is simultaneously a rewarding and draining position. Pastors today have immense pressure on their shoulders and they need the support of their congregations. Peter Orr has written Fight for Your Pastor as an exhortation for church members to stand behind their pastors through the difficulties of ministry. Orr specifies ways in which congregations can be intentional in caring for church leaders, including prayer, encouragement, generosity, and forgiveness. Featuring stories from current pastors about their struggles, this book is perfect for thoughtful church members eager to understand the weight of their pastors' positions and support leaders in their important ministry. For Thoughtful Christians: Specifically those wanting to know more about their pastors and how to care for them Current: Features insight from pastors about their personal experiences in ministry Applicable: Gives practical examples of how to love and care for pastors, including specific prayers for church leaders and the best ways to encourage them

The purpose of this book is to help pastors regain their spiritual perspective in the trials of ministry by understanding how suffering is used by God to develop the pastor and the church. It comes along wounded pastors to offer comfort and encouragement.

Events in our lives, both good and bad, form rings in us like the rings in a tree. Each ring records memories that affect our feelings, our relationships, and our thoughts about God. In this classic work, David Seamands encourages us to live compassionately with ourselves as we allow the Holy Spirit to heal our past. As he helps us name hurdles in our lives—such as guilt, poor self-worth, and perfectionism—he shows us how we can find freedom from our pain and enjoy the abundant life God wants for us.

The Wounded and the Wounder is an absolute must-read for anyone who has ever been rejected, abandoned, wounded, or betrayed. In this book, author Pamela Kacys boldly shares the uncomfortable truth that no one really wants to admitweve all been wounded. However, weve also wounded others at one time or another. This insightful book will help those who have been wounded see that they are neither unlovely nor unlovable, even though they have suffered pain.

The million-copy bestselling introduction to the healing ministry, re-issued with a beautiful new cover. Does healing happen today? Why is there prejudice against the healing ministry? Why are some people not healed? These topical and vital questions are just some of the issues addressed by Francis MacNutt in Healing. A wideranging and broad-based overview, it is essential reading for all involved in the healing ministry. 'Prayer for healing is so central to the gospel, ' writes MacNutt, 'that it should be an integral part of the life of every community of believers. My heart cries out to see it restored to the place it had in the early Christian church.

The body of Christ is full of people who have been wounded by Christians or the church. Author Dr. Angela Corprew-Boyd helps the hurting recognize they are not alone and provides them with wisdom and knowledge to reach out to Christ and receive deliverance from wounds that have made them bitter, resentful, and less effective in ministry. Church leaders and laypeople will benefit from Dr. Corprew-Boyd’s testimony and teaching. Once crippled by wounds inflicted by her pastor and trusted members of her church family, the author describes how she found healing and offers words of comfort and practical advice for readers grappling with their own church hurt. She emphasizes the importance of acknowledgement, reaching out to God, and, finally, forgiveness of others and oneself. Her message serves as a crucial reminder that there is hope for the future in spite of what our adversaries have said and done. Topics covered include the many possible sources of church hurt, how to recognize when a wound is still open, how woundedness can be transferred to church members, and the process of healing.