Resilient Ministry: What Pastors Told Us About Surviving and Thriving

by Bob Burns, Tasha Chapman, Donald C. Guthrie

What does it take to have fruitful ministry over the long haul? The stresses of pastoring are well known and can be a match for even the best-prepared, most experienced in ministry--multiple tasks, long hours, taxing responsibilities and, yes, some challenging personalities. Too often the results can be burnout, being run out or just feeling worn out. To find out how pastors can thrive as well as survive, the authors undertook a five-year in-depth research project among working pastors. Here in this ground-breaking book is the distilled wisdom of dozens of pastors who have been on the front lines of ministry. We hear from them what works, what doesn't and what distinctive issues people in ministry face. The authors uncover five key themes that promote healthy, sustainable ministry that lasts--spiritual formation, self-care, emotional and cultural intelligence, marriage and family, leadership and management. These themes are unpacked from the vantage point of ministry on the ground. Questions for personal evaluation and reflection are included throughout the book to bring home the significance of each section. This is the perfect companion for a peer cohort of pastors to read together. It can also be of value to church boards and others who want to better understand how to help sustain their pastors in ministry. In short, this is a book pastors can't live without.

Genres: Leadership, Nonfiction, Church, Christian, Theology, Christianity, Faith

313 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2012

About the author

Bob Burns (PhD, University of Georgia) is the dean of lifelong learning and associate professor of education ministries at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis. He is also ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America and serves as associate pastor at Crossroads Presbyterian Fellowship. He is coauthor of Resilient Ministry with Tasha D. Chapman and Donald C. Guthrie.

Reviews

[Annie Riggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for anyone working in church ministry, leading or volunteering in church ministry, or wanting to better understand their church as an organism and organization.

[Read for 2023 Staff Training]

[Samuel Kassing · Rating 5 out of 5]

1) spiritual formation
2) self-care
3) emotional and cultural intelligence
4) marriage and family
5) leadership and management

A common sense testimonial for why these five things are crucial for long-term Ministry effectiveness.

I’d highly recommend this book to anyone starting out in Ministry or who finds themselves in a dry spell.

[Paul Avis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply insightful resource and reference book I’ll be returning to often.

[Mark Popovitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite simply put, this is a book anyone in ministry, or married to someone in ministry, or on a pastoral search/pulpit committee, or anyone who is a member of a church needs to read. The dynamic of the pastor and the congregation (as well as the pastor’s family) is such that differentiating misperceptions by each can lead to ineffective ministry labors, hostility, grumbling (sin), burnout, even crises of faith and marriage for many involved. In short, a misunderstanding of the pastor’s person and tasks can result in a loss of love within the Body of Christ. With research, data, interviews, and personal stories at their disposal, Burns, Chapman, and Guthrie gently offer help and corrections for struggling pastors and their congregations. Even if you don’t think your church/pastor fits any of the above descriptors, reading this book may give you a jump start on fermenting issues below the surface. An absolute must read!

[Christian Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This research filled book provides practical solutions to the real issues faced by those in ministry that often lead to burnout. Throughout the book the authors consistently put words to how I, and other ministry leaders I have conversed with, have felt in doing ministry in a post-covid age. The book may need a new edition as it seems the game has changed and the fight to continue ministry is harder now than it was prior to covid for many. While some of the struggles listed were not pertinent to my current scenario, they do come as a warning signs for the future. A valuable and effective book, especially when the study questions are used. I will revisit this one as life changes.

[Parker Friesen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thoroughly surprised by how good this book was. For those ministers trying to navigate leadership and management, chps 13 & 14 were exceptional.

The importance they lay on reflection is something to be noted. Many ministers are brutally overworked, and lack boundaries primarily because they don't create the space they need to reflect.

The focus on emotional intelligence is great. There are so many pastors who don't know how to express their own emotions in healthy ways, and this doesn't lead to the emotions going away, but the emotions actually taking control.

I'd pass this out to anyone thinking about, or actively engaged in ministry.

[Steve Nation · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book as set reading for my Anglican Diocese conference last year. Lots of great wisdom. I often don’t feel very resilient, and this book was a big help in this. I’d suggest at least one other book on this topic before this one (Dangerous Calling by Paul Tripp comes to mind). But this book comes from a different direction, and contains so many pearls of wisdom.

[Simon Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

With my trade background you didn’t operate industrial equipment for more than an hour and half at a time without a short break. Other fields like trucking and heavy industry insist on large amounts of time out between operations, to reduce fatigue induced error – which can have tragic, if not fatal, consequences. Yet clergy seem to think they can attend to the spiritual, emotional and relational care of their parishioners and community without causing significant harm, while constantly neglecting self-care. It’s the equivalent of driving a road-train without sleep.
Burns, Chapman and Guthrie wanted to put the typical American pastor under the microscope, so they intentionally researched over 70 suburban male pastors and their wives over a 7 year period.
Given that their generic-brand focus group is completely different from my work context, or the gender, racial, national, socio-economic, and sexual diversity of church leaders globally, I was surprised that their research findings were co-terminus with my seat-of-the-pants experience over the years. Sometimes a bit of a slog; sometimes a bit cheesy american; but still worth a read if you have never thought through or undertaken self-care before. Also, each chapter ends with some decent diagnositc questions.
They identified 5 themes that build resilience: spiritual formation, self-care, emotional and cultural intelligence, marriage and family, and finally leadership and management.

[Matthew Cazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it twice. Wish I read it years ago!

[Mitchell Dixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading for my class at Covenant Seminary: Field Education Practicum.

Great work on five areas of growth for those in ministry to survive and thrive while serving.
1 Spiritual Formation
2 Self Care
3 Emotional and Cultural Intelligence
4 Family and Marriage
5 Leadership and Management

A little dated at this point but would recommend.

[Hannah Snell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful book about factors that affect resilience for those in formal ministry.
Lots of helpful takeaways for anyone in the church, although the focus is on pastors and their spouses.

[Jeff Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had been offered this book when I first started in ministry. These authors hit so many nails on the head of what I have experienced in ministry it's like they were following me! My version has so many highlights I will likely not add them to this review but I am glad I own it. This book would be especially valuable to anyone starting out in ministry. A lot of ministers have to learn things the hard way, this might be the easy way!

[Sarah Opgenorth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been at the forefront of my mind these past two weeks. It has really helped me understand the specific stressors that pastors and pastors' wives face in ministry work.

I've attended church for decades and I have considered my own personal role in lay ministry, but I am ashamed to say that this is really the first time I have stopped to consider what it takes to lead a church. It's so easy to view churches and pastors as commodities; they're there to serve me and meet my spiritual needs. There are dozens available in Dallas.

Much of what is in this book is applicable encouragement for my own spiritual development. I found the emphasis on time for reflection, developing spiritual maturity, and cultural intelligence helpful.

It's a humbling read. I really think that serious church members should give it their attention.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a "novice" (less than 5 years of experience) pastor, I was very interested in this book. However, I was alienated from their message almost instantly by the disclaimer that they made no attempt to include female voices in their research, nor singles. While I found some aspects of the book helpful, it nonetheless felt like a conversation I was allowed to overhear, rather than one I was invited into.

I was personally encouraged to find that most of what they had to say was review for me. I may recommend this book for a male married pastor who has not done much emotional, cross-cultural, or relational work, but I'm not sure who else I would recommend it to.

[Joel Wentz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really helpful, clear, and insightful presentation of a ton of qualitative data regarding the stresses of ministry in our culture. Some of the themes are occasionally repetitive (like the importance of reflection!) but the book is extremely easy to read, and the data is organized in a helpful way. I also appreciated the extensive quotations from actual pastors and spouses. Some concepts (like the distinction between 'allies' and 'confidants') are crucially important, and will stay with me for a long, long time. This is an easy recommendation for anyone looking to do full-time, and long-term ministry work today.

[Sylvain Coquerel]

This book summarizes the results of a massive study done by the authors.
There are definitely helpful insights.
However, with no clear theological or biblical structure, it's difficult to apply to our lives or even help shape the framework for an enduring ministry.
I believe the authors are biblical but the authority of the book rests on the study rather than the Bible.
That being said if you're looking for helpful insight from psychology and business models, this book helps bring that to the christian pastor in a helpful way.

[Kevin McCarthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The methodology of this study is really thorough and impressive! Lots of great observations and distillations of a life in ministry, here. I’d have like to see the results condensed a bit more. And the inclusion of transcript-like portions from the study, while a good idea in theory, wasn’t quite as helpful as I’d have thought it would be. Definitely a book worth reading for any ministry leader or pastor.

[Jacob Sabin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has some great common sense things. For a Christian book on ministry, the lack of Scripture is troubling for me. I sometimes felt the book was more of a readable infomercial for their seminar. Was extremely dry at times. It has good merits, I would not deter people from reading it, but not the strongest book I have read.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth you read.

This is an excellent overview of the ministerial joys and challenges of pastors and missionaries. It is based on grounded theory research and the experiential reality of men and women in the field. It was well written by three scholars who were vulnerable in sharing their own journeys as well.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very worthwhile read for anyone in ministry leadership about the core skills needed to survive and thrive; not just how to learn them, but to know through the many quotes from pastors who participated in their study that you're not alone in the challenges unique to ministry.

[Josh Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the quotes and passages from the pastors in the study. They resonate deeply with other pastors. This is a recommended read for anyone that has been in the ministry a few years and would like a refresh.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is really great but it’s time to admit I’m probably not going to finish it! Really good ideas for people in ministry though, and what it’s important to keep in mind in terms of not burning out.

[Lance Crandall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grateful for the work and research that went into this book!
Maybe what was most encouraging was the honesty and vulnerability of the pastors.

5 themes of resilient ministry:
Spiritual formation
Self-care
Emotional and cultural intelligence
Marriage and family
Leadership

[Allan Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I’d read this book or materials like it years ago. A helpful read for any involved in ministry.

[Randell Toews · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You will probably need to disappoint people when it comes to the proper care of your family or yourself" (p. 183).

[Donald Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful book on the challenges of pastoral ministry and how to deal with them.

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I imagine the only reason I feel this was a 4star book is because I didn't read it in concert with other pastors. There is so much good here!

[Eric Keel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful tips but other books have done it better

[Brandon Current · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't Read. These are obvious observations delivered in the most obnoxious way possible.

[Aaron Hand · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decently helpful book but overly academic and dry. I also disagree that women can serve as pastors and this book refers to them often. An okay book.