Steve Cuss on His Year as a Chaplain, The Gap Between What We Preach and What We Experience, and Leading Without Carrying the Anxiety of Others

What does it look like to stay tender and human as a pastor, even while holding the weight of others’ pain? In this rich and deeply practical conversation, Steve Cuss shares wisdom from decades of ministry—including his years as a hospital chaplain, a lead pastor, and now, a trusted voice equipping leaders around the world in managing leadership anxiety.

Steve reflects on transitioning out of senior leadership, the gift of simply being a congregant, and how to stay present in rooms thick with grief and unspoken pressure. With vulnerability and humour, he unpacks how pastors can become aware of their own coping mechanisms, grow in emotional health, and shift from reacting to reflecting.

Whether you’re navigating your own expectations, dealing with system-wide stress, or walking with people through deep loss, this conversation is packed with soul-forming insight.

In today’s episode:

• Lessons from chaplaincy on presence, restraint, and incarnational ministry
• How anxiety circulates in church systems (and how to disrupt it with calm leadership)
• The “expectation gap” in our relationship with God and how to close it

Biography

Steve Cuss is a leadership coach, speaker, and former hospital chaplain and pastor who helps leaders grow in emotional and spiritual health. With years of experience in Family Systems Theory, chaplaincy, and church leadership, Steve equips others to manage anxiety, stay grounded under pressure, and lead with greater presence. He’s the author of Managing Leadership Anxiety and The Expectation Gap, and the founder of Capable Life—a practical resource that’s helped thousands of leaders around the world break free from stuck patterns and lead with clarity, peace, and purpose.

Partners

We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and ⁠give⁠ towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church.

Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bible Course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Guest Notes

• Steve’s Website https://www.stevecusswords.com/
• The Expectation Gap https://www.amazon.ca/Expectation-Gap-between-Beliefs-Experience/dp/0310156378
• Managing Leadership Anxiety https://www.amazon.ca/Managing-Leadership-Anxiety-Yours-Theirs/dp/1400210887
• Capable Life ​​https://capablelife.com/

Show Notes

• Website⁠
• ⁠Blog and Episode Write Up⁠
• ⁠Youtube⁠
• ⁠Instagram