This is Something to Think About 07.18.23 “Pastors Feeling Lonely & Isolated”
Something to Think About
Audio By Carbonatix
Bill Bunkley’s “This Is Something to Think About”
Air Date Tuesday, July 18, 2023
“Pastors Feeling Lonely & Isolated”
As church attendance has been on a downward slide, our nation’s pastors are also struggling to cope with the pressures of congregational leadership.
According to new Barna Group research, pastors are experiencing increased loneliness and feelings of isolation.
They feel left out of the very church they are leading.
In 2022 65% of pastors said they were feeling isolated and lonely. In 2015 that number was 42%, showing a disturbing increase.
Another question asked was if a pastor felt well-supported by those serving closest to them. In 2015, a yes response came in at 68%; in 2022, it sank to 49%.
Burnout and stress are significant contributors.
Keep an eye on your pastor for signs of changes in personality or fatigue.
Be a Barnabas, let your pastor know they’re not alone, and be open in communicating a need for encouragement.
Bill Bunkley is a 17-year veteran Salem Media talk show host based in Tampa. The Bill Bunkley Show airs weekdays across central Florida from 3 to 6 pm. Bill is also President of the Florida Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, which serves as the legislative consultant to the Florida Baptist State Convention (Southern Baptist Convention Churches), among other churches and entities. He has served as the legislative consultant to the Florida Baptist State Convention for the last 27 years at the state capitol in Tallahassee. By the Grace of his Lord Jesus, he is today a cancer survivor diagnosed in 2018 with AML Leukemia, having successfully undergone a bone marrow transplant that same year. His wife is Toni, son is Zac, and they attend Idlewild Baptist Church.
Copyright © William H. (Bill) Bunkley 2023 All Rights Reserved
