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Review: How to stay fit for a lifetime of ministry |
| The Bishop of Armidale, the Right Reverend Peter Brain, has recently released Going the Distance: How to Stay Fit for a Lifetime of Ministry (Matthias Media). The Bishop draws on nearly thirty years of ordained ministry, including a close personal brush with burn-out, to produce a very Biblical and practical guide to managing the stresses and strains of the clerical vocation. There is no doubt that clergy of most denominations are struggling to maintain their physical and spiritual health in a period of great change for the Church. He reports that 44 per cent of all Christian pastors who have been involved in ministry for more than 15 years suffer from burn out, mental break down or serious illness. This does not include those who fail to continue in active ministry for other reasons. There are many reasons for this frightening recent development and the book canvasses some of them. | Dr Tom Frame is Anglican Bishop to the Australian Defence Force. | |
| In publishing Going the Distance, the Bishop's prayer is that it will help his readers to avoid becoming a statistic. It covers managing the demands of ministry, identifying the causes and symptoms of depression, dealing with anger, caring for one's family together with principles and strategies for self-care. I particularly appreciated the wisdom and clear practical insights in the chapter on 'Friendship' and the depiction of the six different 'friends' that pastors need: the sponsor, the affirmer, the rebuker, the intercessor, the partner and the pastor. His reflections on St Paul's pastoral epistles are deep and considered. He draws on the insights of psychology but does not make Scripture subordinate to them. | ||
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Bishop writes in a clear and engaging style. Some helpful diagrams and tables
accompanying the text. It is an attractively produced book that lends itself
to group discussion. A small group of pastors (whether ordained or lay)
serving in the same locality might profitably meet weekly to talk through
the contents of each chapter. Whether read with others or alone, I believe
that all Christian ministers will benefit from reading Going the Distance,
if only for the reassurance that the pastoral vocation is one of the hardest
and most confronting calls issued to Christ's followers. It is highly recommended. |
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