In my 20+ years of studying churches in North America, I’ve watched far too many pastors and church leaders burn out, sometimes leading to moral failure. Based on my interviews with others who’ve walked this path, here are some steps to move in that direction if you want to become that next burned out leader.

In my 20+ years of studying churches in North America, I’ve watched far too many pastors and church leaders burn out, sometimes leading to moral failure. Based on my interviews with others who’ve walked this path, here are some steps to move in that direction if you want to become that next burned out leader.

1. Do all the work yourself. No one else can do it as well as you can, so why waste time by delegating the work to them?
2. Get so consumed with internal work that you stop evangelizing. Spend your ministry putting out fires in the church. Let somebody else invest in lost persons and see God save souls.
3. Find no time to be alone with God. Your job keeps you busy almost 24 hours a day, it seems, so let your sermon preparation be your time with God.
4. Base your vision on somebody else’s success. Read books written by successful pastors. Go to conferences. Then adapt everything in your church to somebody else’s ministry.
5. Focus on a few church leaders, and do whatever it takes to keep them happy. After all, they have the most power and influence in the church. It makes sense to please them and meet their expectations.

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