Time Out for Pastors
Book review by Patrick Cheng
METHODIST minister, Dr Mark Chua, has been a pastor for more than two decades and knows from experience what stress and burnout in pastoral ministry is all about.
In his book, Sabbath for Pastors, published by Graceworks, Singapore, he traces the causes of burnout. One is the historical context where missionaries and pastors were church pioneers. Their sacrificial living earned them much respect but also caused their congregation members to become overly dependent on them, to the detriment of the pastors' own physical and mental health.
The results-orientated mindset of the Asian culture is another cause of burnout, combined with assumptions that full-time and ministry workers need not be remunerated on par with the commercial sector. Pastors may end up being viewed as mere employees instead of spiritual leaders of the church. They, too, come under the pressure of the fast-paced, modern worldview with its premium on success as defined by church growth. There is little time for reflection, meditation and Sabbath rest.
Chua opines that pastors may recognise stress and heavy workloads to be part and parcel of pastoral ministry, but many do not comprehend the negative effects of continual stress on them and their families. He highlights the various ailments and psychosomatic sicknesses as symptoms of stress and burnout and backs these up with statistics to show that many in the pastorate, both in the West and in Asia, suffer from this occupational hazard. He notes a Jewish saying that "more than pastors have kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath has kept pastors".
Chua's book ultimately begs the question, "How does keeping the Sabbath prevent burnout?" Chua examines theological aspects of the Sabbath and advocates a paradigmatic approach with practical suggestions for pastors and church leaders to live the Sabbath on a daily and weekly basis.
Many pastors often complain that their church may not understand their need to take a sabbatical (especially a paid one). Chua suggests that pastors model the Sabbath to their congregations first and delves into ways they can do this. When congregants have tasted the benefit of the Sabbath, they will find it easier to understand the justification for their pastor's weekly off-day, yearly vacation and seventh year sabbatical. Even if you are not a pastor, this book is an engaging read about what your pastor goes through. Most of all, Sabbath for Pastors can help all believers re-learn and re-discover the Sabbath as a gift of life. |
