Honor Pastors’ Relevancy Through Gratitude Award
1,500 pastors leave their ministries each month feeling burnout, irrelevancy… North Central Theological Seminary has aligned with Favorfloat Corporation to encourage Christians to honor, appreciate, and show gratitude to their pastors this Christmas through the Gratitude Award, instead of just sending Christmas greeting cards with pre-written messages that don’t come from the heart.
“Why do you think pastors often say, ‘Somebody say amen!’ when they preach?” asked Dr. Jay. “They want to feel heard and appreciated,” he answered. According to the New York Times (August 1, 2010), “Members of the clergy now suffer from obesity, hypertension and depression at rates higher than most Americans. In the last decade, their use of antidepressants has risen.” Dr. Jay continues, “Listed below is what your pastor may be feeling that you may not know.”
· 75% of pastors report severe stress causing anguish, worry, bewilderment, anger, depression, fear, and alienation.
· 45% say that they’ve experienced depression or burnout to the extent that they needed to take a leave of absence from ministry.
· 57% would leave the pastorate if they had somewhere else to go or some other vocation they could do.
· 70% don’t have any close friends.
· 80% say they have insufficient time with their spouse.
· 90% work more than 50 hours a week.
· 94% feel under pressure to have a perfect family.
· 56% of pastors’ wives say that they have no close friends.
· 1,500 pastors leave their ministries each month due to burnout, conflict, or moral failure.
In response, North Central Theological Seminary has, on behalf of its students and all Christians in general, paid Favorfloat Corporation to grant free access for Christians to issue, as seen on television, their registered trademark Gratitude Award® (five star gold status, pdf), emailed for them to print out, frame, and give to their pastors, pastors’ wives, or pastoral staff members this Christmas for all they meant for them or their family in 2015. To do so, North Central Seminary has provided this special link: www.favorfloat.com/give-gratitude-award/?pa=FREEPASTOR
“Christmas is the most joyful time, but perhaps also the most lonely and depressing time for so many pastors and Christians,” said Dr. Jay, who is also encouraging people to remember to honor those few special people who’ve made a huge difference in your life – wife, husband, brother, sister, other family members, coworkers or your boss. “They may be feeling unappreciated and depressed this year. Your Gratitude Award may be all it takes to lift their spirit this season,” concluded Dr. Jay.
(Source: Christian Newswire)
