June 12, 2024 • 21 mins
While on sabbatical (yes, I'm taking my own advice), we are replaying podcasts where our brave guests tell their journey into and out of burnout. You won't want to miss these as there's always something to learn from others, right?
What happens when the weight of ministry becomes too heavy to bear? Pastor Pat Robbins from Brown City United Methodist Church courageously shares his journey through a period of intense burnout. He faced a harrowing series of personal and professional challenges: losing multiple church members to grappling with family tragedies and his own severe health issues. Pastor Pat opens up about the overwhelming stress these events placed on him, especially during the pandemic, and how it ultimately led him to a breaking point.
Join us as Pastor Pat unpacks how he recognized burnout, the physical and emotional toll it took, and his path to recovery. This episode shines a light on the critical need for support and resources for ministry leaders. Whether you're currently experiencing similar struggles or seeking to better understand the pressures of ministry, Pastor Pat's story offers valuable insights and encouragement. Remember, no matter how isolated or overwhelmed you might feel, there's always hope and help available. Reach out, connect, and let’s walk this journey together.
This is a GUILT-FREE zone! So here's your friendly nudge about self-care and its importance for your family, friends, and those you serve in ministry.
Contact info:
Email me at crabbypastor@gmail.com with your input and ideas for burnout and leadership topics of interest or if you know someone who might be interesting to interview.
Visit my website:
YOUR LEADERSHIP COACH FOCUSED ON BURNOUT PREVENTION
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CLICK HERE FOR THE BURNOUT SYMPTOMS TEST.
I love scouring around to find great content to share, and am always interested in feedback, if you are or know of someone willing to share their Back from Burnout story so we can all learn together, then CLICK HERE to email me.
And, if this is a reminder you wish to opt out of, that's fine too.
Blessings on your journey!
Margie
🦀 🦀 🦀
Find regular support on my Facebook group: Building Sustainability in Ministry Leaders: Beating Burnout.
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LEADERSHIP COACHING and Workshops...
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Margie (00:01):
Hey there, Margie Bryce here bringing you the Crabby
Pastor podcast, and I don'tthink you're going to be too
surprised to know that it's tooeasy today to become the Crabby
Pastor.
Our time together will give youfood for thought to help you be
the ministry leader fullysurrendered to God's purposes
(00:24):
and living into whatever ittakes to get you there and keep
you there.
So we're talking aboutsustainability in ministry.
I'm always really grateful whenministry colleagues are willing
(00:46):
to share when things don't gowell, and I'm very, very
grateful to this pastor that'sabout to share his back from
burnout kind of story and whilehis situation was extreme and
there was a period of monthswhere there was an extreme
amount of loss and challengegoing on in his life, I want to
(01:09):
say to you that you don't haveto have that level of items and
situations occurring in yourlife to have burnout happen.
And sometimes as ministryleaders we isolate, we don't get
the help we need.
We are concerned about where wecan be open, honest and
(01:32):
vulnerable and we aren't surewhere the resources are where we
can get help.
So I'm hoping that Pastor Pat'sstory here will prod you to get
the help that you need and maybeconsider resources, consider
who you might speak with friends, colleagues, supervisors.
(01:54):
If you really feel like youdon't have anyone, you can
always reach out to me at eitherthe Krabby Pastor you can go to
krabbypastorcom and connectwith me through the website or
margie, at margiebricecom.
Reach out to me and maybe I'llput a link in the show notes so
you could do that if you reallyfeel like you have no one that
(02:15):
you want to hash this aroundwith.
So that's my encouragement toyou and listen closely and
intently to this veteran pastor.
Tell his story In this episodeof the Krabby Pastor podcast.
I am here with Pastor PatRobbins at Brown City United
(02:39):
Methodist Church and he has sograciously offered to share his
story, to talk about the kindsof things that he experienced as
he approached burnout and thenwhere he is at now.
And I'm very thankful, pat,that you're willing to come on
here, that you're willing toshare, always with the hope that
(03:01):
other people will come awaywith something for their toolbox
.
Pat (03:07):
Yes, I agree.
Margie (03:09):
Yes.
Pat (03:10):
My pleasure.
Margie (03:11):
Oh, thank you, thank you .
So I want to ask you, though,to start out, how long have you
been in pastoral ministry?
I think.
Pat (03:21):
I've been in pastoral ministry going on 27 years 27
years.
Margie (03:25):
That's a long time.
I know you've had a really goodrun, a really solid ministry
here, and the point of pointingthat out is that it's kind of
interesting how you were inministry that long and then it's
later in your ministry that youdo come to experience burnout
(03:47):
and it really has caused someshifts for you.
But tell us how you came tounderstand that you were
experiencing burnout.
Pat (03:58):
Well, it sort of came to pass when the crazy election was
going on and then we weredealing with the pandemic and,
like many of our colleagues,there's a lot of stress going on
because of the pandemic in thelocal churches here in Brown
City.
We had like 14 of our membershad passed away and that brought
(04:21):
a lot of extra stress.
At the same time I had an aunt,an uncle, a grandson that died.
My daughter was diagnosed withcancer, my lifelong friend had
died and it was justoverwhelming at the time it all
happened and it seemed like sucha short time that it was really
(04:44):
hard to breathe.
It was hard to find uh rest.
I was pretty weary.
Uh people would ask me, are youokay?
And I would say yeah, I'm okay,but I really wasn't.
I didn't know, uh quite how tohandle what was going on in my
body and in my mind, because Ialso had the COVID for 17 days.
(05:07):
we were pretty sick after theCOVID.
I had lost my eyesight and Ihad to have new lenses put in my
eyes and I'd lost my hearing.
So I have hearing aids now andit all just happened.
It was like one right afteranother and there was just I
didn't know where to turn.
And this was like one rightafter another, and there was
just I didn't know where to turn.
Margie (05:27):
And this was over a span of how many months that all
this happened.
Pat (05:31):
This was over a span of about 13 or 14 months.
Okay.
Margie (05:35):
Okay, I remember you telling me about you were still
very passionate about ministryand that you were going to
nursing homes, very passionateabout ministry and that you were
going to nursing homes, and Ithink you were crawling up a
ladder to Well, during the,during the pandemic, there was a
woman in the nursing home inSeedling, barb Downing, and I
(05:57):
went to visit Barb.
Pat (05:58):
I was told that she was dying of bone cancer and Barb
was a friend of ours and when Iwent to see her at the nursing
home at that time you were notallowed to go into nursing homes
, but they had set up a 20 footladder outside with a set of
scaffolding beside the ladder.
So I got to climb the ladder andsit on the scaffolding outside
(06:19):
of Barb's window and minister toher that way.
Knowing that when I climbeddown the ladder that was the
last time I was going to see her, was pretty difficult.
But I thank God for the timethat I was able to spend with
her and touch her hand throughthe screen and pray with her.
I am forever grateful for thatopportunity.
Margie (06:42):
You sound like you did some amazing ministry During
that time in your church.
You were still, by all accounts, looking pretty strong through
COVID and you're in a smallrural town, but you were having
some successful ministry, so itwould look good, pretty
respectable on paper, right.
Pat (07:01):
It looked good on paper and I think for me, when the day my
daughter came over to tell meshe had cancer, that was that
was pretty difficult.
You know, I have one daughterand she'll always be my baby
girl, no matter how old she was.
And it was just.
And then a short time afterthat, her grandson died and it
(07:26):
was just overwhelming, so tryingto put on that pastoral face
for everybody else.
But when you look in the mirroryou were really struggling, I
was really struggling.
Margie (07:45):
So what would you say?
The telltale signs of burnoutapproaching would be.
Pat (07:52):
Well, the telltale sign for me was I couldn't sleep, I
couldn't eat, I was irritableand all of a sudden I just
wanted to hide, because it wasreally difficult at the time and
it was hard to be thehappy-go-loving pastor for
everybody when I was hurting sodeep inside of myself.
Margie (08:17):
Yeah I was going to say because I don't think hide is in
your nature Really.
Pat (08:21):
No, hiding is not in my nature.
Yeah, there was just so muchstuff going on at the same time.
Margie (08:31):
So how did you get the help that you needed?
Pat (08:35):
Well, you know I thank God for the District Board of
Ordained Ministry.
I'm a local pastor.
Each year we go before theDistrict Board of Ordained
Ministry and the day of my Zoommeeting with the District Board
I think pretty much everybody onthe committee could see that I
was weary and at some point inour conversation somebody had
(08:58):
mentioned taking a sabbaticaltime, which I really never heard
of that before.
I didn't know that there wassuch a thing available.
Margie (09:06):
You never heard of a sabbatical before.
Pat (09:09):
No, I didn't know that there was such a thing.
Oh, the district board saidwell, we need to talk to the
superintendent.
So I'm assuming after I wasdone with my zoom meeting with
them they contacted thesuperintendent because Reverend
Heiss called me that afternoon.
It was like three days later.
I was on a six week sabbaticalwhich in all my years of
(09:32):
ministry was one of the biggestblessings that I experienced.
In all my years of ministry wasone of the biggest blessings
that I experienced.
Margie (09:38):
So were you the kind of pastor then that made sure you
took all of your vacation timeevery year before?
Pat (09:44):
No, not usually.
No, didn't really worry abouttaking the day off.
Didn't always take the vacation.
Would put family things asideto do church things.
Everything came before my wifeand I.
We were church, church, church.
I think one of the things I'velearned through this whole
(10:08):
process is that I need to takecare of me first.
I need to make sure that I'mall right.
I need to make sure that I'mhealthy.
I need to make sure that I'mwell-rested.
I need to make sure that I'mall right.
I need to make sure that I'mhealthy.
I need to make sure that I'mwell rested.
I need to make sure that I'm inGod's word and when I get
revived and when I'm well, thenI can minister better is what
I've learned.
Margie (10:28):
That's a key takeaway.
Talk to me about yoursabbatical.
What did you do?
Or?
Pat (10:35):
not do.
What we did was we went up toGrayling and stayed in our Aunt
Diane's house.
She had recently died.
Her and Uncle Jim died just alittle bit apart.
(11:00):
We stayed in their bed andbreakfast, which is 15 feet off
of the Manistee River, and wespent a lot of time in devotion,
a lot of time in prayer, a lotof time in rest.
The first week of thesabbatical was very difficult.
My cousin kept asking me what'swrong with you?
What's wrong with you?
Well, for the first time in myministry, I was to do nothing, I
was to rest and my wife and Iwere to take care of ourselves.
(11:24):
And up until that point, Iwasn't very good at that.
I wasn't very good at takingcare of myself.
I always wanted to take care ofeverybody else.
I'm a morning person.
I'm usually up at 4 or 4.30every morning.
The funny thing is, onsabbatical there were days where
we both slept until 10 o'clockin the morning, and that's
(11:45):
unheard of.
I think that was a way of ourbodies catching up on what we
needed Right.
So the sabbatical was a verypeaceful time.
Got to experience the wondersof God's creation right on the
river.
Most every morning there wasone or two eagles in the tree
outside of our door.
It was just a wonderful time tobe revived and to listen to
(12:10):
what God had to tell me, and Ido thank the Board of Ordained
Ministry, I thank thesuperintendent for making a way
for that to take me, and I dothank the board of ordained
ministry.
I thank the superintendent formaking a way for that to take
place.
I like to call it a renewal,not a sabbatical, because what
it did for both my wife and I itrenewed us, it lifted our
(12:32):
spirit, it lifted our energy andI think I have a better focus
now.
Margie (12:40):
You mentioned someone that called and said what's
wrong with you.
What kind of responses did youget from people around you?
Pat (12:48):
For some of the folks.
They asked what's wrong withyou?
You look tired, you okay today,today, pastor, and my response
was always the same I'm fine,but I really wasn't fine.
But you know, I've learned overmy ministry that, uh, I don't
share a lot with, I don't.
I don't have a real big circleof people where I can share me.
(13:12):
So I I acted like everythingwas okay.
When everything wasn't okay, Itried to be the best spiritual
leader during that time that Icould be, but it wore me out.
It really did.
Margie (13:29):
Right, right.
And when people found out youwere on sabbatical, what was
their response to that?
Pat (13:35):
Oh, the response from this local church was fantastic.
People came out of theircomfort zone and they took on
leadership roles and this churchfunctioned quite well while we
were gone.
I thank God that we have agreat secretary who helps keep
this place running, and therewere just people that normally
wouldn't step forward that did,and everything ran rather smooth
(13:57):
while we were gone.
Margie (13:59):
Great, great.
That's always a blessing tohear that and people then
understand that, hey, this isour church too, and they step up
and they take that ownership.
How would you say that yourministry life now is different
from ministry life, say, beforeyou experienced burnout?
Pat (14:21):
Well, one thing.
I know for certain is that I'mable to say no, and before I
could never say no or I wouldnever say no.
But I can't do it all.
And I've learned that thatwe're all in this together, be
it our colleagues or be it ourlay people.
We're all in this ministrystuff together and we need to
(14:45):
depend on each other.
And I don't think I was a loneranger you know, it wasn't my
way or the highway but I like todo things.
I like to lead by example.
People see, and maybe thenthey'll follow.
But I think the best thing I'velearned to say no that I don't
have to do it all, that, uh, ifI'm sitting down to have dinner
(15:08):
and the phone rings, that Idon't have to get up and leave
my dinner and come back and eatit when it's cold, that I can
finish my dinner and then go onto what the task is ahead.
You know, I know of a colleaguethat had mentioned that he
could really use a sabbatical,but he also stated that he
(15:30):
doesn't think that he couldleave the church because the
church couldn't function withouthim.
And I don't know if he'lllisten to this, but I hope he
does, because we have the pastor.
We have to be healthy first andthere are people in the
congregation that will step upand and take that leadership
role while we get the need, thecare that we need.
(15:50):
So I think that's importantthat pastors take time and first
care for themselves.
Margie (15:59):
Okay, what do you do now , then for self-care that maybe
you didn't do before?
Pat (16:05):
Well, I walk more in devotion, I read more, I rest
more.
Margie (16:17):
What do you do to rest?
We have trouble stopping.
That's why I'm bringing that up.
Well, you know.
Pat (16:22):
I just came off a vacation.
We took 30 days and went andlived on the Betsy River over in
Frankfurt, michigan, and salmonfished.
So being outdoors is a way forme to rest.
Spending time with my just meand the Lord is a time of rest,
and spending time with my familyand my wife.
(16:42):
We've been together 47 years.
We've been married and we'rejust now starting to spend more
time with each other, becausewe've learned that if all we do
is ministry, then we neglecteach other and I've learned.
Margie (16:57):
that's very important and I know she's a very active
part of your ministry there aswell.
Pat (17:02):
She's very, very active in every aspect of my ministry.
Margie (17:08):
That's a real treasure.
So what would you say?
This is your moment to saysomething to your fellow
ministry colleagues.
Go ahead and take the soapboxfor a minute, pat.
Pat (17:22):
What I'd like to say to my colleagues is that our
superintendent is not our enemy,that he's our friend and he's
there to help us, and the Boardof Ordinary ministry is there to
help us.
They're not our enemy and it'sokay for us to ask for help, to
reach out and find that we'reweary and ask for help and see
(17:45):
what can be done to help usrejuvenate ourselves.
I probably never would haveasked because I didn't know that
it was available to have such athing, but I thank God that my
colleagues saw the weariness andmentioned it first, because
Karen and I got the blessing ofthat time away.
Margie (18:09):
Great, great Well, I really appreciate it.
Do you want to add anythingelse to what we've chatted?
I really do appreciate yoursharing this.
When I heard your story of whatthose 13 months were like, I
just wow, that's a lot and youdon't have to be pressed all the
way against the wall like youpretty much were.
(18:30):
To seek routine self-care, toseek a sabbatical, I think in
some denominations I think oursyou're eligible every seven
years-ish.
There's a criteria.
So if you have served that manyyears, you are eligible to take
a sabbatical and that's just awonderful resource.
(18:53):
And I still am shocked that youhad been in ministry that long
and was unaware that that wasavailable to you.
Pat (19:00):
One last reminder from the Krabby Pastor is it can happen.
Margie (19:04):
It absolutely can happen .
Well, thank you so much forsharing your story and giving us
a glimpse into how you can gothrough burnout and then come
back out on the other side in abetter place, because I know
ministry is going well for youright now, isn't it?
Pat (19:20):
Yes, it is, things are well .
Margie (19:22):
Yeah, even post-COVID, and the challenges that that is
and that has been and willcontinue to be for a little
while yet.
But, yeah, I want to thank youso much for sharing with us
today.
Pat (19:35):
Thank you very much.
Margie (19:46):
Have a blessed day.
Okay, you too, please reach outand get the help that you need.
If you, or maybe a colleague isexperiencing burnout and just
can't seem to move past, movebeyond or through situations and
the fatigue level is there,don't do nothing.
Don't just think that anafternoon is going to take care
(20:07):
of it.
There are times and placeswhere God is asking us just to
stop totally for a period oftime what you're doing.
So reach out, go to the shownotes.
I'll put a link to connect withme via email if you really have
no one else to reach out to.
(20:27):
You don't want to become theCrabby pastor.
Hey, thanks for listening.
It is my deep desire andpassion to champion issues of
sustainability in ministry andfor your life, so I'm here to
help.
I stepped back from pastoralministry and I feel called to
(20:50):
help ministry leaders create andcultivate sustainability in
their lives so that they can gothe distance with God and
whatever plans that God has foryou.
I would love to help, I wouldconsider it an honor and, in all
things, make sure you connectto these sustainability
(21:13):
practices, you know, so that youdon't become the crabby pastor.
Hey there, Margie Bryce here bringing you the Crabby
Pastor podcast, and I don'tthink you're going to be too
surprised to know that it's tooeasy today to become the Crabby
Pastor.
Our time together will give youfood for thought to help you be
the ministry leader fullysurrendered to God's purposes
(00:24):
and living into whatever ittakes to get you there and keep
you there.
So we're talking aboutsustainability in ministry.
I'm always really grateful whenministry colleagues are willing
(00:46):
to share when things don't gowell, and I'm very, very
grateful to this pastor that'sabout to share his back from
burnout kind of story and whilehis situation was extreme and
there was a period of monthswhere there was an extreme
amount of loss and challengegoing on in his life, I want to
(01:09):
say to you that you don't haveto have that level of items and
situations occurring in yourlife to have burnout happen.
And sometimes as ministryleaders we isolate, we don't get
the help we need.
We are concerned about where wecan be open, honest and
(01:32):
vulnerable and we aren't surewhere the resources are where we
can get help.
So I'm hoping that Pastor Pat'sstory here will prod you to get
the help that you need and maybeconsider resources, consider
who you might speak with friends, colleagues, supervisors.
(01:54):
If you really feel like youdon't have anyone, you can
always reach out to me at eitherthe Krabby Pastor you can go to
krabbypastorcom and connectwith me through the website or
margie, at margiebricecom.
Reach out to me and maybe I'llput a link in the show notes so
you could do that if you reallyfeel like you have no one that
(02:15):
you want to hash this aroundwith.
So that's my encouragement toyou and listen closely and
intently to this veteran pastor.
Tell his story In this episodeof the Krabby Pastor podcast.
I am here with Pastor PatRobbins at Brown City United
(02:39):
Methodist Church and he has sograciously offered to share his
story, to talk about the kindsof things that he experienced as
he approached burnout and thenwhere he is at now.
And I'm very thankful, pat,that you're willing to come on
here, that you're willing toshare, always with the hope that
(03:01):
other people will come awaywith something for their toolbox
.
Pat (03:07):
Yes, I agree.
Margie (03:09):
Yes.
Pat (03:10):
My pleasure.
Margie (03:11):
Oh, thank you, thank you .
So I want to ask you, though,to start out, how long have you
been in pastoral ministry?
I think.
Pat (03:21):
I've been in pastoral ministry going on 27 years 27
years.
Margie (03:25):
That's a long time.
I know you've had a really goodrun, a really solid ministry
here, and the point of pointingthat out is that it's kind of
interesting how you were inministry that long and then it's
later in your ministry that youdo come to experience burnout
(03:47):
and it really has caused someshifts for you.
But tell us how you came tounderstand that you were
experiencing burnout.
Pat (03:58):
Well, it sort of came to pass when the crazy election was
going on and then we weredealing with the pandemic and,
like many of our colleagues,there's a lot of stress going on
because of the pandemic in thelocal churches here in Brown
City.
We had like 14 of our membershad passed away and that brought
(04:21):
a lot of extra stress.
At the same time I had an aunt,an uncle, a grandson that died.
My daughter was diagnosed withcancer, my lifelong friend had
died and it was justoverwhelming at the time it all
happened and it seemed like sucha short time that it was really
(04:44):
hard to breathe.
It was hard to find uh rest.
I was pretty weary.
Uh people would ask me, are youokay?
And I would say yeah, I'm okay,but I really wasn't.
I didn't know, uh quite how tohandle what was going on in my
body and in my mind, because Ialso had the COVID for 17 days.
(05:07):
we were pretty sick after theCOVID.
I had lost my eyesight and Ihad to have new lenses put in my
eyes and I'd lost my hearing.
So I have hearing aids now andit all just happened.
It was like one right afteranother and there was just I
didn't know where to turn.
And this was like one rightafter another, and there was
just I didn't know where to turn.
Margie (05:27):
And this was over a span of how many months that all
this happened.
Pat (05:31):
This was over a span of about 13 or 14 months.
Okay.
Margie (05:35):
Okay, I remember you telling me about you were still
very passionate about ministryand that you were going to
nursing homes, very passionateabout ministry and that you were
going to nursing homes, and Ithink you were crawling up a
ladder to Well, during the,during the pandemic, there was a
woman in the nursing home inSeedling, barb Downing, and I
(05:57):
went to visit Barb.
Pat (05:58):
I was told that she was dying of bone cancer and Barb
was a friend of ours and when Iwent to see her at the nursing
home at that time you were notallowed to go into nursing homes
, but they had set up a 20 footladder outside with a set of
scaffolding beside the ladder.
So I got to climb the ladder andsit on the scaffolding outside
(06:19):
of Barb's window and minister toher that way.
Knowing that when I climbeddown the ladder that was the
last time I was going to see her, was pretty difficult.
But I thank God for the timethat I was able to spend with
her and touch her hand throughthe screen and pray with her.
I am forever grateful for thatopportunity.
Margie (06:42):
You sound like you did some amazing ministry During
that time in your church.
You were still, by all accounts, looking pretty strong through
COVID and you're in a smallrural town, but you were having
some successful ministry, so itwould look good, pretty
respectable on paper, right.
Pat (07:01):
It looked good on paper and I think for me, when the day my
daughter came over to tell meshe had cancer, that was that
was pretty difficult.
You know, I have one daughterand she'll always be my baby
girl, no matter how old she was.
And it was just.
And then a short time afterthat, her grandson died and it
(07:26):
was just overwhelming, so tryingto put on that pastoral face
for everybody else.
But when you look in the mirroryou were really struggling, I
was really struggling.
Margie (07:45):
So what would you say?
The telltale signs of burnoutapproaching would be.
Pat (07:52):
Well, the telltale sign for me was I couldn't sleep, I
couldn't eat, I was irritableand all of a sudden I just
wanted to hide, because it wasreally difficult at the time and
it was hard to be thehappy-go-loving pastor for
everybody when I was hurting sodeep inside of myself.
Margie (08:17):
Yeah I was going to say because I don't think hide is in
your nature Really.
Pat (08:21):
No, hiding is not in my nature.
Yeah, there was just so muchstuff going on at the same time.
Margie (08:31):
So how did you get the help that you needed?
Pat (08:35):
Well, you know I thank God for the District Board of
Ordained Ministry.
I'm a local pastor.
Each year we go before theDistrict Board of Ordained
Ministry and the day of my Zoommeeting with the District Board
I think pretty much everybody onthe committee could see that I
was weary and at some point inour conversation somebody had
(08:58):
mentioned taking a sabbaticaltime, which I really never heard
of that before.
I didn't know that there wassuch a thing available.
Margie (09:06):
You never heard of a sabbatical before.
Pat (09:09):
No, I didn't know that there was such a thing.
Oh, the district board saidwell, we need to talk to the
superintendent.
So I'm assuming after I wasdone with my zoom meeting with
them they contacted thesuperintendent because Reverend
Heiss called me that afternoon.
It was like three days later.
I was on a six week sabbaticalwhich in all my years of
(09:32):
ministry was one of the biggestblessings that I experienced.
In all my years of ministry wasone of the biggest blessings
that I experienced.
Margie (09:38):
So were you the kind of pastor then that made sure you
took all of your vacation timeevery year before?
Pat (09:44):
No, not usually.
No, didn't really worry abouttaking the day off.
Didn't always take the vacation.
Would put family things asideto do church things.
Everything came before my wifeand I.
We were church, church, church.
I think one of the things I'velearned through this whole
(10:08):
process is that I need to takecare of me first.
I need to make sure that I'mall right.
I need to make sure that I'mhealthy.
I need to make sure that I'mwell-rested.
I need to make sure that I'mall right.
I need to make sure that I'mhealthy.
I need to make sure that I'mwell rested.
I need to make sure that I'm inGod's word and when I get
revived and when I'm well, thenI can minister better is what
I've learned.
Margie (10:28):
That's a key takeaway.
Talk to me about yoursabbatical.
What did you do?
Or?
Pat (10:35):
not do.
What we did was we went up toGrayling and stayed in our Aunt
Diane's house.
She had recently died.
Her and Uncle Jim died just alittle bit apart.
(11:00):
We stayed in their bed andbreakfast, which is 15 feet off
of the Manistee River, and wespent a lot of time in devotion,
a lot of time in prayer, a lotof time in rest.
The first week of thesabbatical was very difficult.
My cousin kept asking me what'swrong with you?
What's wrong with you?
Well, for the first time in myministry, I was to do nothing, I
was to rest and my wife and Iwere to take care of ourselves.
(11:24):
And up until that point, Iwasn't very good at that.
I wasn't very good at takingcare of myself.
I always wanted to take care ofeverybody else.
I'm a morning person.
I'm usually up at 4 or 4.30every morning.
The funny thing is, onsabbatical there were days where
we both slept until 10 o'clockin the morning, and that's
(11:45):
unheard of.
I think that was a way of ourbodies catching up on what we
needed Right.
So the sabbatical was a verypeaceful time.
Got to experience the wondersof God's creation right on the
river.
Most every morning there wasone or two eagles in the tree
outside of our door.
It was just a wonderful time tobe revived and to listen to
(12:10):
what God had to tell me, and Ido thank the Board of Ordained
Ministry, I thank thesuperintendent for making a way
for that to take me, and I dothank the board of ordained
ministry.
I thank the superintendent formaking a way for that to take
place.
I like to call it a renewal,not a sabbatical, because what
it did for both my wife and I itrenewed us, it lifted our
(12:32):
spirit, it lifted our energy andI think I have a better focus
now.
Margie (12:40):
You mentioned someone that called and said what's
wrong with you.
What kind of responses did youget from people around you?
Pat (12:48):
For some of the folks.
They asked what's wrong withyou?
You look tired, you okay today,today, pastor, and my response
was always the same I'm fine,but I really wasn't fine.
But you know, I've learned overmy ministry that, uh, I don't
share a lot with, I don't.
I don't have a real big circleof people where I can share me.
(13:12):
So I I acted like everythingwas okay.
When everything wasn't okay, Itried to be the best spiritual
leader during that time that Icould be, but it wore me out.
It really did.
Margie (13:29):
Right, right.
And when people found out youwere on sabbatical, what was
their response to that?
Pat (13:35):
Oh, the response from this local church was fantastic.
People came out of theircomfort zone and they took on
leadership roles and this churchfunctioned quite well while we
were gone.
I thank God that we have agreat secretary who helps keep
this place running, and therewere just people that normally
wouldn't step forward that did,and everything ran rather smooth
(13:57):
while we were gone.
Margie (13:59):
Great, great.
That's always a blessing tohear that and people then
understand that, hey, this isour church too, and they step up
and they take that ownership.
How would you say that yourministry life now is different
from ministry life, say, beforeyou experienced burnout?
Pat (14:21):
Well, one thing.
I know for certain is that I'mable to say no, and before I
could never say no or I wouldnever say no.
But I can't do it all.
And I've learned that thatwe're all in this together, be
it our colleagues or be it ourlay people.
We're all in this ministrystuff together and we need to
(14:45):
depend on each other.
And I don't think I was a loneranger you know, it wasn't my
way or the highway but I like todo things.
I like to lead by example.
People see, and maybe thenthey'll follow.
But I think the best thing I'velearned to say no that I don't
have to do it all, that, uh, ifI'm sitting down to have dinner
(15:08):
and the phone rings, that Idon't have to get up and leave
my dinner and come back and eatit when it's cold, that I can
finish my dinner and then go onto what the task is ahead.
You know, I know of a colleaguethat had mentioned that he
could really use a sabbatical,but he also stated that he
(15:30):
doesn't think that he couldleave the church because the
church couldn't function withouthim.
And I don't know if he'lllisten to this, but I hope he
does, because we have the pastor.
We have to be healthy first andthere are people in the
congregation that will step upand and take that leadership
role while we get the need, thecare that we need.
(15:50):
So I think that's importantthat pastors take time and first
care for themselves.
Margie (15:59):
Okay, what do you do now , then for self-care that maybe
you didn't do before?
Pat (16:05):
Well, I walk more in devotion, I read more, I rest
more.
Margie (16:17):
What do you do to rest?
We have trouble stopping.
That's why I'm bringing that up.
Well, you know.
Pat (16:22):
I just came off a vacation.
We took 30 days and went andlived on the Betsy River over in
Frankfurt, michigan, and salmonfished.
So being outdoors is a way forme to rest.
Spending time with my just meand the Lord is a time of rest,
and spending time with my familyand my wife.
(16:42):
We've been together 47 years.
We've been married and we'rejust now starting to spend more
time with each other, becausewe've learned that if all we do
is ministry, then we neglecteach other and I've learned.
Margie (16:57):
that's very important and I know she's a very active
part of your ministry there aswell.
Pat (17:02):
She's very, very active in every aspect of my ministry.
Margie (17:08):
That's a real treasure.
So what would you say?
This is your moment to saysomething to your fellow
ministry colleagues.
Go ahead and take the soapboxfor a minute, pat.
Pat (17:22):
What I'd like to say to my colleagues is that our
superintendent is not our enemy,that he's our friend and he's
there to help us, and the Boardof Ordinary ministry is there to
help us.
They're not our enemy and it'sokay for us to ask for help, to
reach out and find that we'reweary and ask for help and see
(17:45):
what can be done to help usrejuvenate ourselves.
I probably never would haveasked because I didn't know that
it was available to have such athing, but I thank God that my
colleagues saw the weariness andmentioned it first, because
Karen and I got the blessing ofthat time away.
Margie (18:09):
Great, great Well, I really appreciate it.
Do you want to add anythingelse to what we've chatted?
I really do appreciate yoursharing this.
When I heard your story of whatthose 13 months were like, I
just wow, that's a lot and youdon't have to be pressed all the
way against the wall like youpretty much were.
(18:30):
To seek routine self-care, toseek a sabbatical, I think in
some denominations I think oursyou're eligible every seven
years-ish.
There's a criteria.
So if you have served that manyyears, you are eligible to take
a sabbatical and that's just awonderful resource.
(18:53):
And I still am shocked that youhad been in ministry that long
and was unaware that that wasavailable to you.
Pat (19:00):
One last reminder from the Krabby Pastor is it can happen.
Margie (19:04):
It absolutely can happen .
Well, thank you so much forsharing your story and giving us
a glimpse into how you can gothrough burnout and then come
back out on the other side in abetter place, because I know
ministry is going well for youright now, isn't it?
Pat (19:20):
Yes, it is, things are well .
Margie (19:22):
Yeah, even post-COVID, and the challenges that that is
and that has been and willcontinue to be for a little
while yet.
But, yeah, I want to thank youso much for sharing with us
today.
Pat (19:35):
Thank you very much.
Margie (19:46):
Have a blessed day.
Okay, you too, please reach outand get the help that you need.
If you, or maybe a colleague isexperiencing burnout and just
can't seem to move past, movebeyond or through situations and
the fatigue level is there,don't do nothing.
Don't just think that anafternoon is going to take care
(20:07):
of it.
There are times and placeswhere God is asking us just to
stop totally for a period oftime what you're doing.
So reach out, go to the shownotes.
I'll put a link to connect withme via email if you really have
no one else to reach out to.
(20:27):
You don't want to become theCrabby pastor.
Hey, thanks for listening.
It is my deep desire andpassion to champion issues of
sustainability in ministry andfor your life, so I'm here to
help.
I stepped back from pastoralministry and I feel called to
(20:50):
help ministry leaders create andcultivate sustainability in
their lives so that they can gothe distance with God and
whatever plans that God has foryou.
I would love to help, I wouldconsider it an honor and, in all
things, make sure you connectto these sustainability
(21:13):
practices, you know, so that youdon't become the crabby pastor.
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