Clergy Compassion Fatigue
Clergy Compassion Fatigue
NACBA Ledger Fall 2007
By Sheri S. Ferguson, MSSW, LMFT, LCSW

Clergy Compassion Fatigue

Clergy are often in the unique position to be the first responders to individuals and families during times of trauma and crisis. Pastoral care of church members is one of the clear priorities of pastoral ministry; yet, who cares for them? Today’s clergy seem to have greater demands and less support, and the radical changes in our society over the past 50 years have fundamentally redefined the very nature of what it means to be in ministry. The very acts that get clergy rewarded in their ministry can also be the very things that wreak havoc on their family, personal, physical, and spiritual lives.
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