Shepherding the Shepherd in the Midst of a Pandemic

This essay explores two key themes in practical theology. First, I offer an evaluation of how ministers fared through the COVID-19 pandemic and consider its impact on life and ministry via reflection on literature as well as on my own practice as a pastoral care worker who “shepherds the shepherd.” Ministers encountered in my line of work frequently display symptoms of burnout. In exploring whether pandemic-related stresses contributed to this burnout, I found that prepandemic studies consistently identified a higher risk of burnout in ministers than people in the general population. This begged the question, why are ministers more susceptible to burnout? Within the scope of this essay, I explore this question via theological reflection.

Secondly, in exploring the importance of spiritual disciplines, specifically the Judeo-Christian idea of Sabbath in preventing burnout, I propose adding the idea of Sabbath rest to theological reflection models and present my rationale for how this contributes to health and flourishing in life, praxis, and theological reflection.