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Jeff Dorris

Deliberations from Dorris

Jeff Dorris is the Editor of the Delta Dunklin Democrat

Editorial

Praise for Pastors

Saturday, October 15, 2022

Through the years I have had many close relationships with pastors, ministers, and preachers.

They have helped me through many dark periods of my life.

One in particular stands out.

Gene Cogburn.

He was a grizzled Church of Christ preacher from Texas who had traveled to Northern Illinois to help a struggling little church.

Along the way he helped a struggling young man named Jeff.

I’ve interviewed many preachers since I’ve been at the paper and one topic that always comes up in our conversation is burnout.

Pastor burnout is a real possibility in this career.

According to a study by the Schaeffer Institute 1,700 pastors leave the ministry each month, citing depression, burnout, or being overworked.

The study shows that 90 percent of pastors report working 55 to 70 hours a week, and 50 percent of them feel unable to meet the demands of the job.

Common causes for pastor burnout include being on call 24/7, criticism, not delegating tasks, and limited social life outside of the church.

Most preachers don’t start out thinking they are going to be pastors. It’s definitely a calling.

October celebrates National Pastor Appreciation Day.

Let’s take some time in the near future and lend a hand to these ministers.

Invite them to dinner after services, volunteer to help with a project, and above all, let’s pray for them.

Thank you to them all and may God bless you for your service.

See you out there.

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