5 reasons many pastors struggle with depression

Thom Rainer May 5, 2018

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Many pastors really do struggle with depression.

Most church members have no idea if their pastor is depressed. They don’t discover it until they are awakened to the reality of some of the dramatic consequences of the depression: broken marriages, sexual affairs, resignation from ministry . . . in extreme cases, even suicide.

If you are a pastor reading this post and you are struggling with depression,  please get help. Too many pastors have been taught that depression is a sign of failure in ministry, and that it is something that must be hidden from view. Those are lies—blatant lies. Please get help. Now.

Pinpointing causes

The primary purpose of this post is to explain the precipitating factors behind depression. More clearly, these are the five primary causes pastors identified as the reasons behind their depression. 

Each of these causes is followed by a direct quote from pastors who shared with me their struggles.

1. Spiritual warfare. 

“I don’t mean this in a profane way, but there was a point in my ministry when all hell broke loose. I can’t explain the attacks any way other than spiritual warfare. The enemy was intent on destroying my ministry, and I began to spiral downward emotionally.”

2. The surprising reality of pastoral leadership. 

“I wish someone had told me how tough it is to be a pastor. My single counsel was to preach the Word, and I understand the priority of preaching. But, after a year or so in my first pastorate at age 31, I saw the underbelly of local church life. I was just caught off guard. And it took me some time before I realized I was truly depressed.”

3. Sense of inadequacy. 

“My church is declining. While I don’t get hung up on numbers, my members started talking about the decline. And when we had to delete a position because we could no longer pay the person, I really begin to hit rock bottom. I felt like it was all my fault.”

4. Critics and bullies. 

“Pastoral leadership really can be a death by a thousand cuts. It’s not any one person or criticism; it’s the constant and steady stream of criticisms. It wears on you. My depression came on gradually, so by the time I was in deep depression, I did not see it coming.”

5. Loneliness. 

“It’s really hard to find a true friend when you are a pastor. And when you have no one to talk to about your struggles and questions, life can get lonely. That is why Church Answers has been a God-send to me. I get to ask questions and share my struggles in a safe place.”

Safe place

The pastor in number five mentioned Church Answers, a dynamic community of church leaders. It’s a place where you can get your church questions answered 24/7. 

More importantly, it’s a place where you will never feel alone. If you are struggling, I urge you to consider becoming a part of  this community. It may be one of the best decisions you make in ministry.

Depression with pastors is not only real, today it seems to be pervasive. May we who serve alongside them, staff and laity alike, take a few minutes a day to pray for our pastors.

It could very well be one of the most important ministries we have.

Photo source: istock 

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Thom S. Rainer is the founder and CEO of Church Answers, and online community and resource for church leaders. Prior to founding Church Answers, Rainer served as president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Before coming to LifeWay, he served at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for twelve years where he was the founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism. He is a 1977 graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Learn More »

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