Ed Dobson, Wayne Gordon, Louis McBurney, Standing Fast: Ministry in an Unfriendly World. Multnomah Books, 1994. Referenced in: Ministry Burnout, Preventing and Overcoming LifeandLeadership.com Summary This book is full of encouraging, practical advice for ministers who feel the negative effects of ministry on themselves and their families. It is written in three parts covering ministry
Edward D. Bratcher, The Walk-on-Water Syndrome: Dealing With Professional Hazards in Ministry. Word Books, 1984. Referenced in: Ministry Burnout, Preventing and Overcoming LifeandLeadership.com Summary An older but well-written text on pastoral burnout from an experienced minister and consultant. Bratcher perhaps overemphasizes the analogy of the minister trying to be a “superhuman” who “walks on water,”
Bruce Gordon Epperly and Katherine Gould Epperly, Feed the Fire! Avoiding Clergy Burnout. Pilgrim Press, 2008 Referenced in: Ministry Burnout, Preventing and Overcoming From the Publisher Clergy couple Epperly and Epperly are experienced leaders in whole-person programs for pastors. Through the sharing of life-transforming, whole-person spiritual practices; theological reflection; and personal narratives of their own
William H. Willimon, Clergy and Laity Burnout. Abingdon Press, 1989. Referenced in: Ministry Burnout, Preventing and Overcoming Strengthening and Renewing the Ministry Call LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is one the most recognized titles on the subject. Note the scope is not limited to burnout among “professional” ministers but also others in the church who are looked
Glenn Ludwig, In it for the Long Haul: Building Effective Long-Term Pastorates. Alban Institute, 2002. Referenced in: Ministry Burnout, Preventing and Overcoming Ministry Transitions and Interim Ministry LifeandLeadership.com Summary Ludwig is a Lutheran minister who speaks out of his experience in a long relationship with his church. He also gleans from a carefully selected panel
H. B. London and Neil B. Wiseman, Pastors at Greater Risk: Real Help for Pastors from Pastors Who’ve Been There, Revised Edition. Regal Books, 2003. Referenced in: Ministry Burnout, Preventing and Overcoming LifeandLeadership.com Summary London works with Focus on the Family’s ministry to pastors and Neil Wiseman is a veteran pastor and Bible college professor.
Fred Lehr, Clergy Burnout: Recovering from the 70-hour Week and Other Self-Defeating Practices. Augsburg Fortress, 2005. Referenced in: Ministry Burnout, Preventing and Overcoming LifeandLeadership.com Summary Lehr is a Lutheran minister (ELCA) and a church consultant through his organization, Renewal Ministries. Lehr approaches the issue of burnout through the lens of codependency which typically expresses itself
Kirk Byron Jones, Rest in the Storm: Self-Care Strategies for Clergy and Other Caregivers. Judson Press, 2001. Referenced in: Ministry Burnout, Preventing and Overcoming LifeandLeadership.com Summary One reviewer describes Jones’ volume as “refreshing breeze of support” for over-extended ministers. The concepts are expounded perhaps more fully in other volumes, but certainly no more creatively and
Kent and Barbara Hughes, Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome. Crossway Books, 2008. Referenced in: Strengthening and Renewing the Ministry Call LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is especially helpful for ministers experiencing discouragement because their ministries lack the tangible factors often associated with “success.” In Parts I and II, the authors redefine success in terms of faithfulness
Charles Stone, Five Ministry Killers and How to Defeat Them: Help for Frustrated Pastors – Including New Research from the Barna Group. Bethany House, 2010. Referenced in: Ministry Burnout, Preventing and Overcoming LifeandLeadership.com Summary This represents research from Barna Research Group, LifeWay Research, and Christianity Today’s NationalChristianPoll.com on over 2,000 pastors and more than 600
