I want to clarify this statement made in my previous post on Ministers and Depression. I wrote,
I do not recommend that anyone with clinical depression enter seminary. I do not encourage anyone with chronic mental health issues to subject themselves to the intensity of life as an ordained minister. I am frankly too protective of our communities of faith to do so, as this is no work for a profoundly fragile soul. This is not to stigmatize or dismiss the gifts and calling of the chronically depressed or the “mentally ill” (whatever that means, as obviously there is no clear definition). There are multiple ways to live our ministerial vocation, and parish minister is just one.
I have had several comments asking for my further explanation of this paragraph. Thoughtful readers ask me to explain my recommendation. Other, less careful readers, accuse me of barring those with mental illness from entering seminary. Of course I said no such thing.
First, I agree with my colleague John Buehrens that no one should enter seminary unless they absolutely have to. I take this to mean, “Don’t try to do this enormous, exhausting, ultimately demanding thing called ministry unless you really cannot do anything else with your life.” It’s a dramatic statement, but I think it’s a good caution. I think that too many individuals enter seminary, period. In my own denomination the prospective openings for parish ministers versus the number of MDivs is painfully unbalanced.
I have seen seminary and ministry chew up and spit out too many human beings who spent an extraordinary amount of time, effort and MONEY trying to reach the pinnacle of ordained ministry. I have written extensively about the expense to seminarians versus the job prospects and compensation once one graduates. My record of being protective of seminarians is well-established on this blog and in my public ministry at conferences, etc. I do not go on record often enough as being protective of our congregations and communities of faith, and I did this time because the ravages of being served by unhealthy ministers of all kinds is serious and lasting.
“I do not recommend that anyone with clinical depression” enter seminary was not specific enough. As long-time reader Amy Zucker figured out, I was referring to someone with untreated depression: ie, someone in the grips of debilitating mental illness that they were not well on the path to managing adequately. I assumed I was being clear, as my reference to “profoundly fragile soul” paints a picture of someone who simply isn’t coping well or consistently enough to withstand the mental, emotional and spiritual rigors of ministerial formation and service to a faith community.
If I wasn’t clear, and you felt the need to jump all over me, I apologize. But perhaps you should remember that this is a blog, that this entry was written quickly as a favor to someone considering seminary and during a time of extreme stress for me. Perhaps you could ask clarifying questions instead of making unkind accusations, and consider that your own defensiveness prompted mine. This is a two-way conversation. xxoo PB
Thanks for the initial post and this clarification! I have suffered from depression throughout my life, treated with ‘talk therapy’ and medication several times. My experience has made me a more compassionate counselor, and as my ability to recognize my own feelings has grown (now into late middle age!) I see the wisdom in advisiing folks with UNTREATED
(Sorry!) depression to get into treatment either before seminary or early in their seminary experience. Either way, the transition into the first church is just about as hard a life change to negotiate as I have ever had, and I could not have succeeded without the support of friends, colleagues, and professionals.
I’m someone who has struggled with depression and also with the question of whether I’m called to lay versus ordained ministry. And I’m in the business of giving feedback to people on their communications style, content, and delivery. So I find the content and process of this conversation very interesting.
First of all, in many spheres of life, feedback is quite carefully filtered – to the point where it can be so “tactful” that the listener learns nothing. (If you go too far in the other direction, you end up in Faux News / Yelling Head country, which is also not helpful.) But I found the admonition about seminary and ordained ministry to be extremely helpful. It’s kind of like the kinds of clear-eyed advice you might hope to get when considering marriage or taking on the care / responsibility of a child. No one is saying you are not entitled to love in your life or that you wouldn’t bring deep joy to another person. A caring person might say, however: “Don’t look to this relationship to solve all of your problems or tell you who you are. What you are about to take on will push you to your very frontiers, bringing out your best and worst. Are you sure you’re ready?”
I’m sure different denominations (and regions of the country) have different processes for ministry candidates. In my own denomination, I’ve seen amazing and wonderful people get beaten up by the discernment process. For the ones who make it through and become ordained, that’s only the beginning.
A couple of years ago, I went on a week-long mission trip to Haiti. About a month before my trip, I stumbled on a blog on international development that pretty much implored people to avoid short-term mission in Haiti. At that point, it was too late for me to cancel, so I went, had some challenging experiences, strengthened some relationships, and made some new friends. The tone of the blog post on “mission tourism” didn’t praise my good intentions, but I was glad to have read it, and I searched out similar articles. By the time the actual trip occurred, I was prepared for the notion that I wouldn’t be universally welcomed with open arms, and I had some understanding of why that might happen.
Far worse than receiving less than encouraging advice is being led to believe that ministry is about personal fulfillment, rather than complex and challenging relationships.
Even with appropriate drugs, counseling, and a mostly beautiful life, depression is still part of who I am, even after all these years in parish ministry. I understood and did not take offense at your original post. Blessings in your new call. [Thank you for such a gracious note and for your blessing, which I return to you! – PB]
Very thoughtful, very insightful comments from all. I think the core message is that entering any field with a demanding role (e.g. ministry, law, medicine, parenthood, etc.) will tax one’s well-being in many ways. Meeting the challenges, and thriving, will require more effort when recurrent mental health issues are present. And often, and this is the cautionary part I think PB conveys, without sufficient and continuing insight, feedback, self-awareness/monitoring and support, the pressure may well become untenable-both for the minister and for her/his congregation.
When I read your original post it spoke to me about the tremendous efforts that are needed and if one enters Seminary not prepared to be taken apart and examined under a microscope, then they really should not enter.
I have seen people on both sides of the process burn out and take as many as they could with them. I have seen people who were not adequately prepared for Seminary blossom under the pressure and stress. And I’ve seen people like myself, struggle throughout the process, not necessarily clear on whether or not there will be a parish for them when they finish. There is NO SUCH THING as job security in full-time ministry.
Lately there’s been a great deal of concern with recent candidates and graduates feeling that because they survived three years of Seminary that they are now owed a parish. And it doesn’t work that way. [OH my heavens, yes. I have also seen this. Very concerning attitudes + assumptions. – PB]
I appreciate you bringing an open window to us on something that many people may not have experienced. Thank you for being you.
Hmmmm “if I wasn’t clear and you felt the need to jump all over me…”. You might be one of the reasons for PeaceBang’s recommendation. Ministry is incredibly challenging and draining. All I heard you suggesting, was that entering seminary with extra weighty burdens was like entering a marathon with a 50 pound pack on your back. Nope, wouldn’t recommend that to anyone.
I think that what makes this topic all the more difficult, is that sometimes as candidates for ministry we do not know our own mental health challenges. Even with very good screening things get missed when people are very high functioning, very adept at managing their public image, seem to thrive under stress, or when we think that what we are experiencing is simply what is “normal”. I highly recommend some kind of on-going mental health, self-care so that our own issues do not have the freedom to explosively sneak-up on ourselves. I find a periodic counseling “tune up” to be helpful for me (especially to detect areas of below-the-surface burn-out).