Here are some stats given to me in my Pastoral Counseling class; not exactly encouraging stuff but compelling. I guess they were taken through polling pastors in 1991 by the Fuller Institute of Church Growth. The first set is just a list of troubling stats, and the second regards issues in pastors' marriages. Thoughts?
• 90% of pastors work more than 46 hours per week
• 80% believe the ministry negatively affects their family
• 33% said that being in the ministry was outright hazardous to their health
• 75% reported a significant stress-related crisis at least once in their family
• 50% felt unable to meet the needs of the job
• 90% felt they were inadequately trained to cope with ministry demands
• 70% say they have a lower self-esteem now than when they started out
• 40% report a serious conflict with a parishioner at lest once a month
• 37% confessed to having been involved in an inappropriate sexual behavior with someone in the church
• 70% do not have someone they consider a close friend
Problems in clergy marriages
1. 81% insufficient time
2. 71% use of money
3. 71% income level
4. 64% communication
5. 63% congregational expectations
6. 57% leisure time
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Man!... Painful, yet in one sense also encouraging. Been thinking about some of this stuff, but I didnt have the stats to support some of my thoughts and experience. J and I have been thinking through some of the ways to guard against some of these issues. Reading this makes me... want to shift our efforts into the next gear. These are serious issues here. Gotta be committed to holding to our convictions on many of these things...
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