Becoming a Resilient Pastor for "Unprecedented" Times

August 22, 2023 Marie Burrus

We’ve lived in unprecedented times. If it’s been said once, it’s been said 4,306,097 times.

The word “unprecedented” has been used so often that its evolution from relevance to cliche to meme and now lame dad joke has happened with dizzying speed. And yet, we must acknowledge the extraordinarily strange times in which we’re living and ministering.

As much as ministry has always been challenging, the hurdles most pastors and ministry leaders face today are—dare I say it?—unprecedented. And unprecedented times call for healthy, resilient leaders.

But how can we develop resilience? UBA’s Resilient Pathway seeks to be that training ground for leaders.

After two years of pandemic stress and deep divisions in society, many clergy are simply burned out. A survey this year [2022] from Barna asked pastors if they'd given serious consideration to quitting, and 42% said yes.

Barna, The State of Pastors

From secularization to a global pandemic, social media to politics, things certainly have become challenging for leaders over the last decade. Most pastors and ministers worked hard to adapt and minister well, but we may have underestimated how long someone could sustain such flexibility before burning out.

Again and again, we’ve seen the fallout revealed in physical, spiritual, and emotional deficiency. When asked to lead people on mission in changing times, pastors and ministers must build resilience before they break. So developing healthy, resilient leadership before problems arise is crucial.

5 Trailheads on the Path to Resilient Leadership

Because we love churches and their leaders, the Union Baptist Association has been putting significant effort into helping church leaders build the habits they need to lead with resilience. We call this effort our Resilient Pathway.

Along the Resilient Pathway are 5 “trailheads” leaders can join depending on your availability. We hope you can choose at least one of these five ways to build resilience for whatever may lie ahead.

1. Monthly Pastor Groups provide care and connection.

Being in leadership can feel isolating. Especially in normative-sized churches, pastors might have difficulty finding people who will listen, bear their burdens, create a safe space, and hold them accountable as sinners in need of grace.

What if Houston became a network of hundreds of pastors caring for one another? What if these relationships helped churches partner with one another, culminating in community kingdom impact?

We’re using our associational network to help pastors find that kind of community. Find out more or get involved at PastorGroups.com.

2. Quarterly Resilient Gatherings equip with proven tools.

Once each quarter, our association hosts Resilient Gatherings. These free luncheons are opportunities to eat, fellowship, and hear from experts in the field on matters of leadership and resilience. August 30, we’re joining with Houston Church Planting Network to host Tod Bolsinger 10:30 am -1:30 pm.

At this two-session gathering, we will discuss what it means to be resilient leaders who energize communities of people to accomplish a shared mission in the face of a changing world. UBA’s Executive Director Josh Ellis will also share the latest demographics in Houston.

If you can’t make it next week, mark your calendar for lunch on October 19. Our last gathering of the year will include lunch and conversation with Dr. Brian Croft, who developed Practical Shepherding.

3. Annual retreats sustain pastors with rest and fun.

This year, UBA had the privilege of taking pastors on a retreat to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. This five-day retreat was designed for pastors to get away, rest, fellowship with peers, and enjoy God and his creation.

We’ll tell the fuller story in the coming weeks, but enjoy these pictures as a sneak peek.

4. Cohorts aim for deep processing within a peer group.

This year, we started our first six-month resilient pastor cohort. This cohort focused on practicing the Five Habits of Leaders Who Finish Well:

Clear mission
Relational security
Repeated renewal
Lifelong learning
Sovereign perspective.

It’s been a rich and formative time for the pastors involved. If you’re interested and able to dive deeper into resilient pastor practices, you can register for the 2024 cohort. Click the button below to email Kevin Abbott and get started.

5. Individual coaching implements these habits in your specific context.

Our association is developing a team of certified coaches to come alongside our pastors and ministry leaders to help them process and find clarity as they lead.

We would love to journey with you if you’re ready for a coach. You can email Kevin Abbott to learn more about one-on-one coaching.

No matter where you are on the path to resilience, we hope our resilient pathway can serve you. We hope you can take advantage of at least one of these opportunities to practice and train to become more resilient. See you on the trail!

Marie Burrus is a UBA church consultant and communications specialist. She manages, edits, and contributes content for UBA's blog, website, and social media outlets. She also uses her Master's degree in Intercultural Studies and experience as a missionary in West Africa to consult on missions, outreach, culture, and the Christian life.

Union Baptist Association