VALLEY FORGE, Penn. — In response to reports of clergy burnout, the American Baptist Churches USA has decided to make wellness a priority issue for its ministerial leadership over the next five years.
“We concluded that often ministerial leaders do not seek their own wellness because the community expects them to do many other things,” said Ivan E. George, executive director of the Ministerial Leadership Commission of the American Baptist Churches USA.
The commission has created a definition of “clergy health” that includes balanced nutrition, emotional well-being, periods of spiritual reflection and a sense of fulfillment with one’s job.
George said the church community should be involved in maintaining a minister’s health by providing opportunities for retreats and supporting resources for sabbaticals.
The new approach was approved at a recent commission meeting following a yearlong study that showed ministers were experiencing burnout and other problems.
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