Take a Breath

Although I am not a pastor or church staff minister, I know a lot of them and have kept in touch during the Coronavirus pandemic. For most of these friends, activity has ramped up during this time. This is not a leisurely work from home or spend more time with family season. Granted most are working from home and spending more time with family, but they are also engaging in ministry in overdrive. I think there are several reasons for this.

First, pastoral leaders (senior pastors, staff ministers, chaplains, or denominational leaders) are concerned about the people under their care. Even the introverts among the group are used to interacting with individuals on a daily basis providing encouragement, support, and leadership. With social distancing, this is hard to do, requires more intentionality, and adds to the burden they carry.

Second, many ministers are dealing with both guilt and uncertainty. They are guilty because they are uncertain about what people expect of them during this time. They are guilty because they don’t know what to expect from themselves during this time! Even churches that do have position descriptions for their ministerial leaders (yes, there are churches like that) did not write those descriptions to describe how those duties are to be carried out in a pandemic. It is hard to hit the target if no target is provided.

Third, like the rest of us, they are being called on to take care of their own families--caring for children who are not at school or day care, supporting and giving space to spouses who are working from home, accessing the necessities of life such as food and medications. Ministers often struggle with work/life balance and this accentuates the disequilibrium.

Fourth, some are concerned about justifying their existence. If I am not doing the things that I usually do, will the church even miss me? Might they come to consider me “non-essential personnel.” How can I keep a high profile in a low-profile time?

There are no easy answers to these concerns. They are real and shouldn’t be minimized. We are all dealing with a situation we have not experienced before. We are all learning together and trying to support each other. Perhaps the best answer comes from Eugene Peterson’s translation of Jeremiah 29:11 in The Message:

“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."

We may not see it right now, but there is a way forward from this time of crisis and stress--trusting God and supporting our brothers and sisters. God knows what God is knowing even when we don’t!

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