Pastors Pull Away From Congregations For Rejuvenation

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Whether it is a small congregation or a mega ministry, Middle Georgia pastors are working to balance living their lives while serving their church members.
           
Pastors are preaching once and sometimes twice a week, and most of them are juggling church business at the same time. But, how do they handle the stress of their calling?

E. Dewey Smith is the senior pastor of Greater Travelers Rest in Atlanta. Smith recently addressed more than 150 pastors during the General Missionary Baptist Convention Ministers Conference held in Macon. He says every pastor needs a pastor.

“Every pastor also needs a therapist,” said Smith. “I think we need someone that we can talk to. We’re called to be like Jesus, a wounded healer. Jesus in His wombs brought healing to us.”

The senior pastor of Pine Forest Baptist Church, Norman Yukers says most pastors struggle with taking time off. Yukers says those pastors are consumed with the cares of “church business.” They are busy with, weddings, funerals, visiting the sick, counseling and their church finances.

“We’re making sure we’re paying the bills and paying them on time,” said Yukers. While trying to make sure that, we’ve got a good testimony in the community. All of that begins to add up. We’re being so extended until we have nothing left. You can’t really be a minister if you don’t have the energy to minister.”

Yukers is not alone, when he says he takes time away from the church, to relax and rejuvenate. He is joined by the Community Church of God’s Senior Pastor, Jason McClendon. McClendon says he knows when it is time to take a break.

“When I see myself not being able to concentrate, when I feel myself getting nervous or when I feel that there’s a heavy weight on me,” said McClendon. That’s when I know that it’s time for me to step back.”

According to Yukers, pastors getting away from their congregations dates back to the Biblical days, when Jesus drew himself away from the crowd to go to the other side.