How to Deal with Leadership Stress in Ministry

In this series, we discuss four different types of stress, and the need to be intentional in following the action steps presented here as a necessary prescription for dealing with them.

What do you do when you are facing another type of stress that is common to leaders and stems from the calling of doing ministry on a daily basis? It’s called Leadership stress. Ultimately, there is a freedom that comes with executive or pastoral leadership. You possess greater freedom to direct your own course according to the way you feel God leading you. You have the freedom to choose sermon topics and initiate programs. These are the freedoms that come with position power.

At the same time, the freedom of leading a church comes with hidden shackles: the ties you feel to church attenders, staff members, your family, the community, and any of the other people you do not want to let down. Some of that portion of leadership stress is self-imposed.
But at other times, it is something totally different that brings leadership stress. It may not have anything to do with external forces, or the mismanagement of your personal life. It is simply the fact that you are in a leadership role, feeling the pressure, and stress is building.

Stress can be temporary or more far-ranging. Can you remember what you were stressed out about two years ago? Maybe you can remember, but does it seem less significant now or smaller than the stressors that you are facing today?

Do not be discouraged. In this video, we present eight proven ways to manage or reduce leadership stress. We have spoken to many church leaders that have provided their input and best advice for handling this type of stress. If you are intentional about taking the advice, you can begin to mitigate the level of leadership stress that you are dealing with.