>G. Jeffrey MacDonald, a minister in the United Church of Christ, has written an op-ed in The New York Times that pastors must read. The following is the introduction to MacDonald’s op-ed article:

THE American clergy is suffering from burnout, several new studies show. And part of the problem, as researchers have observed, is that pastors work too much. Many of them need vacations, it’s true. But there’s a more fundamental problem that no amount of rest and relaxation can help solve: congregational pressure to forsake one’s highest calling.

The pastorate in itself is hard work, but congregations today are making the work of the pastor even more difficult. As it is, there is no easy answer to this problem, unless Christians return to the practices of authentic Christianity, which I believe, it will be hard to do in the society in which we live.

Pastors, read this article. Here is the link.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

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Tags: Pastors, Pastorate, Christianity