Some of the results may surprise even devout churchgoers: 54 percent of pastors find their jobs frequently overwhelming, and 48 percent often feel the demands of ministry are more than they can handle. So while about half are overwhelmed and wonder if they should quit, another part of the study showed only 13 percent of senior pastors left their posts over the past 10 years for reasons other than death or retirement.

The first time I thought about what it takes to be a church pastor was when mine took a three-month sabbatical after a decade in Downtown Presbyterian’s pulpit.

I asked my friend Bob Smietana, a lifelong churchgoer and now senior news editor at Christianity Today magazine, why pastors do that.

“I’m not saying I disagree with it,” I said. “But I’ve been a reporter for 20 years, and I’ve never had a sabbatical.

“Right,” Bob said. “And nobody is asking you to channel the will of a divine being for them.”

Touché, Bob. Touché.

Turns out full-time church ministry actually can kill the people who do it – but it does so slowly.

A much publicized 2012 Duke University study of United Methodist pastors in North Carolina showed their obesity rate was 40 percent, compared to 29 percent of the general population. They also posted high rates of chronic diseases, including diabetes, arthritis and hypertension.

Ten percent said they suffered from depression – about double the national rate.

At the same time, they were less likely than the general population to say their health issues affected their work. Researchers concluded that members of the clergy understand they should be taking care of themselves, but they simply won’t do it.

In September, Southern Baptist Convention-affiliated LifeWay Research put out a new survey of pastors at 1,500 evangelical churches. Some of the results may surprise even devout churchgoers: 54 percent of pastors find their jobs frequently overwhelming, and 48 percent often feel the demands of ministry are more than they can handle.

So while about half are overwhelmed and wonder if they should quit, another part of the study showed only 13 percent of senior pastors left their posts over the past 10 years for reasons other than death or retirement.

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