Clergy Burnout
Recovering from the 70-Hour Week...and Other Self-Defeating Practices
- Church Leadership & Ministry
- Publisher: Fortress Press (Augsburg Fortress)
- Published: 2005
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Publisher's Description
In this highly accessible book, Fred Lehr clarifies the nature and practice of clergy codependence. In short, insightful, and highly readable chapters, filled with many examples and stories from his own life and those he has counseled, Lehr identifies the typical forms codependence takes in the life and ministry of clergy: the chief-enabler, the one who keeps things functioning; the scapegoat, the one on whom everything's blamed when it goes wrong, the one who's responsible; the hero, the example, the pure and righteous one; the lost child, the one no one really knows or cares about; the rescuer, the one who saves the day, makes the visit, fixes the problem, makes everything all right again; the mascot, the cheerleader, the one who offers comic relief, brings down the tension level after a heated discussion.
Endorsements (3)
“Perhaps it took a global pandemic. If anyone had doubted that being a pastor was a challenging calling, the events since early 2020 have demonstrated what Fred Lehr so passionately addresses in the revised and expanded edition of his book Clergy Burnout. In easy-to-read yet profound chapters filled with practical examples from his long experience in the field, Lehr leads us from pain and depression to healing and hope. In the process, he shows the way to renewal and restoration after the long haul of a horrific pandemic. As he himself says, ‘It’s time to center our lives in the Gospel.’ Good news, indeed!”
“Fred Lehr’s work on clergy burnout brings together a wide range of necessary topics for active clergy. The core of his work is restoring pastors by exploring codependence and personality types, but he goes much further. He also focuses on hope and healing and provides a practical guide for transforming how we think about our work in congregations. In addition, Lehr’s concepts have been immensely helpful for training lay pastors. His work on developing spiritual maturity is particularly critical in the mainline church today, when we need leaders with depth, knowledge, and biblical literacy.”
“Fred Lehr has proved once again that he has a pulse on the continuing challenges of clergy burnout. This revised and expanded edition includes many new insights into clergy burnout from a psychological perspective, such as pastoral and congregational codependencies and how to treat them, and particularly, how to move from codependence toward the healthier alternative of interdependence. I found Lehr’s focus on spirituality and his ‘Spiritual Life Survey’ particularly helpful. Clergy and congregations alike will find Clergy Burnout a valuable tool for these challenging times for communities of faith.”
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