Burnout Among Pastors in Relation to Congregation Member and Church Organizational Outcomes

Abstract

Burnout among pastors poses a threat to local church health and ministry vitality. This study examined how pastor job burnout relates to measures of church organizational health. Specifically, the current study examined the relationships between pastor job burnout and (a) intrinsic and extrinsic religiousness of worship service attenders and (b) church organizational health: financial stability and pastor turnover intentions. These relationships were studied using data from the U.S. Congregational Life Survey (USCLS) collected during 2008 to 2009. Participants were sampled across Catholic and Protestant Christian denominations, and a small proportion of participants represented other religious traditions. Analyses indicated that pastor burnout was negatively related to two measures of attenders’ extrinsic religiousness: sense of belonging and participation, but not intrinsic religiousness. Churches with higher average pastor burnout had lower ratings of financial stability. Pastor burnout was positively related to pastor turnover intentions. Social support from the congregation weakened the relationship between pastor job burnout and turnover intentions. The current study can be used to inform church leaders, members, and denominational boards. These findings demonstrate that efforts to prevent and reduce pastor burnout would benefit the entire church organization.