In this series of blogs, I’m exploring and giving blunt commentary to the Pew Center’s report, “Why Americans Go (and Don’t Go) to Religious Services,” having already discussed issues of disassociation (lack of rootedness), disinterest (lack of engagement), and disappointment (lack of expectation).  Today, I want to discuss burnout, an issue of depletion.  In a subtle way, this issue arises from the primary survey response, “I practice my faith in other ways.”

Both as a casual observer and as a pastor, I’ve seen people leave churches simply because they became overloaded, overwhelmed, and so consumed with activities, programs, leadership functions, and duties within the church, to the breaking point that they felt trapped, with no one coming to help or to relieve them.  All too often, I’ve seen the same people get asked to do all the things that are needed to do in the church.  And while participation and leadership in the church should be a high and holy calling, it can decelerate into a sapping and draining experience, especially if one feels that he/she can get little support or help.  Too many people leave the church because they have experienced ministry burnout to some degree.

There are several reasons why ministry burnout occurs frequently in churches.  Some churches are not growing numerically; therefore, the same people get asked repeatedly to do things because newer people are not there.  In addition, some leaders are insecure in recruiting people they don’t know to participate.  Other churches have dilemmas with older people not wanting to work with children and youth, claiming “I’ve done my time,” whereas some younger people and adults claim they don’t have the time to volunteer because of job and/or young family demands.  In their minds, they think they’re doing good if they can simply “show up” for church services as often as they can.

When the Pew Center’s survey showed that the #1 response was, “I practice my faith in other ways,” it confirmed to me what I already knew and experienced–there are many people who are not brought closer to God through participation and leadership in the Body of Christ, a vital biblical principle taught regularly in the NT Scriptures.  Instead, for some people, they leave the church because the kind of volunteering or leadership that they once did internally depleted them so much that they didn’t experience spiritual renewal in doing it.  Added to this is the all-too-often reality that those in leadership positions regularly receive sharp criticisms and complaints from church members “in the peanut gallery” (i.e. they are a “shooting target”), distilling discouragement and bewilderment within them.  They leave the church depleted, broken, and saying to themselves and others, “it’s going to be a while before I get involved in another church.” 

How do you address burnout in a church?  How can you keep people revitalized so that ministry burnout is kept in check?  Here are a few thoughts:

1. Too many churches have far too many programs that do not reach many people, yet require too many volunteers.  Every church should take the time to have a “program assessment” that honestly evaluates the value of each ministry they offer.  The question, “Is what we’re doing truly reaching and impacting people, requiring this number of volunteers?” should be honestly asked and answered regularly.
2. If a church doesn’t have enough sustainable participation in a ministry so that volunteers can receive a period of rest in the year, then church leadership needs to evaluate seriously whether that ministry is needed or not.  If insufficient numbers of volunteers are a problem, then that dilemma should signal a larger issue.
3. Perhaps a greater issue—one that many pastors and church leaders don’t want to discuss—involves the reason(s) why few or no new people are coming into their church that could potentially replenish the volunteer pool.  Why aren’t new people coming?  Does the community know about the church?  Are church members inviting their family and friends?  Does the church have an active presence in the community?  If any or all of these questions have negative or deficient answers, the potential for ministry burnout within the church becomes higher.

Oftentimes when people leave the church because of spiritual burnout, everyone—the leavers and the stayers—experience a “bad taste in their mouths.”  When it comes to burnout, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, especially when volunteerism is examined from a particular program’s present value and impact, rather than “we’ve always done it this way before.”