Mindset
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Churches are struggling. Spiritually, missionally, and financially. This isn’t news to anyone, especially to the leaders bearing the brunt of this culture of decline. And what are the reasons for this?
For one, there’s reluctance. Leaders often experience a strong resistance to new ideas. Aging congregations, as so many of them are now, can be set in their ways. Change isn’t an option for them. Reactivity is rampant and leaders, like you, are constantly putting out fires, no time left to ever actually move forward with a new vision.
Then, there’s the overwhelming sense of resignation. “Well, we already tried that, and it doesn’t work around here.” And, of course, we’ve got the “isms” and “phobias” (sexism, racism, homophobia, xenophobia) …the list goes on. It’s no wonder decline is rampant among many denominations, and that clergy burnout is on the rise.
So how do you solve this? In the coming weeks, I am going to explore solutions for modern-day churches and leaders. I will talk about the mindsets that are holding people back, the institutional church, lay servant ministry, and how to achieve a culture of renewal. The dilemma of clergy burnout can be solved. Let’s start by looking at mindsets.
The Dilemma of Clergy Burnout
The Great Pastor Resignation was part of the post-pandemic Great Resignation. Pews emptied out. And so did clergy. In September of 2023, Alex Langford wrote a compelling article about his reasons for leaving the pastorate. He told them, “I no longer have a desire to serve as a pastor in the church. In my sermon, I told my congregation that I was exhausted from writing, memorizing and preaching sermons week after week for 10 years, which is true.” Langford goes on to make some points that are helpful to see things the way they are. And he’s not alone.
In March of 2022, Barna did a national survey of pastors and found that 42% were considering quitting. What were their top five reasons? 56% of these pastors stated the immense stress of the job was their top reason. Many felt lonely and isolated (43%). Then, 38% report the current political divisions as a reason for leaving. Unhappiness with the effect their role has had on family and not being optimistic about the future of the church both come in at 29%.
Stress. Isolation. Division. Family Impact. Church Decline. These responses are not surprising given what is expected of you as church leaders. You must be a professional speaker, a CEO, a counselor, a fundraiser, a human resources director, a master of ceremonies, and a constant pillar of virtue. Wearing so many hats means that burnout is inevitable. In any other job setting, different people would be performing each of these jobs, sometimes multiple people. Nobody is capable of being proficient at all of these skills. And yet, you are expected to take on each of these tasks, and do them well, for $55,000 a year.
What is the Mindset?
Langford noted that his church, like many others, began to split during the Trump years. People in his church left because he was perceived as either too liberal or too conservative. The constant anger and bickering left him exhausted. In the United Methodist Church, this took the shape of disaffiliations.
There is a concept of growth vs. fixed mindset that applies to churches in decline. A growth mindset is when a person is willing to take chances, enjoys learning new things, and is not afraid to fail. Conversely, people with fixed mindsets don’t like to be challenged. They perceive failure as revealing the limit of their abilities. They tend to fear learning new things, particularly if that education disrupts their current worldview.
Many pastors think that the reason many people gather every Sunday is to explore deep questions about life and to push themselves to become better humans. What we have learned over the last 10 years is that this assumption is wrong.
Although there are definitely some people who come to church for the reasons outlined above (these are some of my biggest supporters), the majority of people who attend churches are in the fixed mindset category. Most Christians don’t want their thinking challenged. They come to church to reinforce what they’ve believed their entire lives. From their perspective, the job of the pastor is not to push them to grow, but to reassure them that they are already on the right track. Any learning should support the party line and assure them that their investment of resources in the church will result in a payoff somewhere down the line, particularly once they reach the afterlife. The culture has a fixed mindset. That’s why it’s in decline.
Now, I don’t know that I believe that ALL Christians are like that, but certainly mindset is a factor in the struggles that many churches are experiencing today. Here is what is most arresting. Langford’s conclusion was “My particular skillset and perspective is a mismatch for the institutional church.”
In fact, Langford himself demonstrates the fixed mindset. All the problems are external. They are “out there.” The system is the problem. I can’t really impact it. But what if that mindset shifted? Could new solutions arise? “What I offer is not what most Christians are looking for,” Langford continues, “which is another reason I decided to move on. I realized that if I spend the rest of my life fighting a system that is not designed for someone like me, I’m going to end up an angry, bitter, broken shell of a human being.”
Moving from a fixed mindset to one that fosters growth isn’t easy. It takes you, as your congregation’s leader, to move past the resistance and reluctance into acceptance and eagerness to change. In order to experience growth and to survive as a church, change is inevitable. January’s blog series “Solving the Dilemma of Clergy Burnout” will explore positive, empowering solutions to bring you and your congregation away from a culture of decline and into a culture of renewal.
If you’d like to learn more, my three year, award-winning, group coaching program, Creating a Culture of Renewal® will help you move from a fixed mindset to one of miraculous growth! Registration for January cohorts ends on Friday, January 5th, and we’ll be opening registration for Fall 2024 cohorts of Creating a Culture of Renewal later this month. Reach out and let’s talk about changing the mindset of your congregation while helping to banish the burnout!
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