THE EARTH MOVES UNDER OUR FEET
OR
WHY CLERGY ARE STRESSED
🌎 The Ground Is Shifting
Our world is changing faster than ever before.
America’s polarized politics: In the 1980’s liberals and conservatives played hardball but they made a deal when the country needed it. Not now. Things are too polarized. The earth is moving under our feet.
🤖 A New World Overnight
Technology is transforming life at breathtaking speed.
The AI revolution: Earlier industrial revolutions took decades. The personal computer/internet revolution took about 10 years. The AI revolution seems to be happening overnight. The earth is moving under our feet.
The world order created 80 years ago is shifting radically. No one knows where it’s going. The earth is moving under our feet.
⚖️ Living in a Divided Culture
When every issue feels like a battleground.
The culture war rages over sexuality, language, climate change and immigration with no end in sight. For example: Some see homosexuality as an abomination. Others cannot fathom why there is a problem with any people loving each other. The earth is moving under our feet.
⚡ Change Keeps Accelerating
Innovation brings opportunity… and new uncertainty.
Additional technological revolutions are happening in communications, manufacturing, genetics, bioengineering, robotics and more. The earth is moving under our feet.
đź’” Why Clergy Feel the Weight
When constant change becomes constant stress.
These drivers create increased anxiety, depression, and anger in clergy and the people clergy serve. Moreover, clergy are not as respected as they once were, partly due to the sex scandals of recent decades. Many serve declining congregations or ministries with declining income. Add them all up and ministry today is exceptionally high stress. The earth is moving under our feet. All that stress can result in behavioral health disorders.
✝️ Finding Solid Ground
When everything else shifts, grace remains.
We find the answers are not in the earth, but in God’s graciousness through Christ. CRIC offers behavioral health programs, policies and training to support church governing authorities. They are one expression of that graciousness, helping clergy and church leaders find stability in uncertain times. To learn more about CRIC’s work, visit restoreimpairedclergy.com.
CRIC is the only national, ecumenical, non-profit whose sole purpose is to help church governing authorities use the best practices with clergy behavioral health issues. To learn how you can help, contact the editor, at 402-770-1974, Otto.Schultz@restoreimpairedclergy.com.
Just Say “No Thanks”
Compassionate Accountability is the newsletter of The Center for the Restoration of Impaired Clergy. You receive it since you indicated an interest in the Center’s work. To stop it, just say “No Thanks.” The newsletter is assembled by Otto Schultz so address your complaints and questions to OttoBSchultz@outlook.com.