Who would think that being a pastor would be bad for your health? Well, our saviour died!!

In my 14 yrs of ministry, I've had very bad moments when people really made my gut turn inside out. But now there's a study that shows how being a pastor affects the health of those of who su engage in ministry:

(RNS) Most members of the clergy are taught to put the physical and spiritual needs of others first, but that self-denial may be harmful to their own health, according to a new Duke University study.
Studies of United Methodist pastors in North Carolina found high rates of chronic disease and depression, and researchers worry it can be difficult to convince clergy to seek help.
To address these unique problems, Duke Divinity School's Clergy Health Initiative developed a program to provide preventative care in a spiritual context.

I belong to the Baptist Union of Victoria, in Victoria, Australia. They put a great emphasis on taking care of one's health. But this is not sometimes enough by the looks of it.

"Clergy recognize the importance of caring for themselves, but doing so takes a back seat to fulfilling their vocational responsibilities, which are tantamount to caring for an entire community," said Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, the initiative's research director and assistant research professor at the Duke Global Health Institute.
The institute's research found the 40 percent obesity rate among North Carolina United Methodist clergy eclipsed the state average of 29 percent. Pastors also suffered high rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, arthritis and hypertension. More than 10 percent showed symptoms of depression, about double the national rate.

Now I know why I am getting a belly!!!

Despite these health issues, clergy were also more likely to say their health did not negatively affect their work.
Proeschold-Bell said stress, which is tied to overeating and weight gain, comes in many forms for clergy.
Pastor's schedules are unpredictable and filled with diverse activities, resulting in what Proeschold-Bell called "role overload." She also points to an internal pressure to live faithfully and support the community.
"Pastors have lots of social ties, but the support goes only in one direction," she said. 

Yes, only one direction most of the time. If we want a bit of attention ourselves, we are usually put down right away as selfish, and not caring.

Read the whole entry. This is not a light issue, since it has to do with the ones called to serve the church. Hopefully, churches will take this study to heart, and be more supportive of their pastors.