Abstract
Clergy members suffering from burnout face both personal and professional complications. This study assessed occupational burnout and stress coping mechanisms among ministers affiliated with the Assemblies of God, a denomination that has received little attention in previous burnout-related studies. A cross-sectional design was employed using two instruments with acceptable psychometric properties. Approximately 65 % of those surveyed were either suffering from burnout or on the verge of burnout. Statistical differences in coping mechanism use were found between those who were and were not experiencing some level of burnout. The results of this study add to the existing understanding of occupational burnout among clergy members and ways in which burnout may be alleviated.
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Special Note
“Clergy Burn-Out Inventory,” developed by Roy M. Oswald, published in Clergy Self-Care: Finding A Balance for Effective Ministry (Alban Institute 1991) (c) The Alban Institute, used by permission.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
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Visker, J.D., Rider, T. & Humphers-Ginther, A. Ministry-Related Burnout and Stress Coping Mechanisms Among Assemblies of God-Ordained Clergy in Minnesota. J Relig Health 56, 951–961 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0295-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0295-7