Ministry Burnout

by John A. Sanford

Teacher, faithful pastor, financial wizard, caretaker of the sick, activist, personal counselor, and preacher: these are some of the roles a minister must fill. The demands of these roles can lead to numerous dilemmas and stresses and, if not adequately addressed, to burnout. John Sanford deals concretely with the circumstances that give rise to this spiritual exhaustion and identifies its underlying dynamics. He studies each problem in detail, provides approaches and practical suggestions for dealing with it, and reviews the psychology of the ministering person to show how an individual can mitigate such problems by being more realistic with himself or herself.