Ministerial Emotional Well-Being: How to Achieve and Maintain It

By H. Jack Morris

H. Jack Morris is the founding pastor of the Largo Community Church in Mitchellville, Maryland, near Washington, DC. He has two earned doctorates (McCormick and Luther Rice), is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) and a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist (LCMFT) in Maryland and president of Change Point Christian Counseling.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Mar 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490827797

H. Jack Morris

H. Jack Morris is the founding pastor of the Largo Community Church in Mitchellville, Maryland, near Washington, DC. He has two earned doctorates (McCormick and Luther Rice), is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) and a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist (LCMFT) in Maryland and president of Change Point Christian Counseling.

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Copyright © 2014 H. Jack Morris.

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™ All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. The Living Bible, TLB, and the The Living Bible logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-2777-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2779-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014903658

WestBow Press rev. date: 04/18/2014

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Chapter 1 Ministerial Stress

A.   Stress And The Pastor

B.   Stress And The Pastor’s Family

Chapter 2 Definition Of Ministerial Stress And Its Effects

A.   Definition Of Stress

B.   How The Body Responds To Stress

Chapter 3 Stages And Effects Of Ministerial Stress

A.   Stages Of Stress

B.   Effects Of Stress

Chapter 4 Sources Of Ministerial Stress

A.   General Sources

B.   Unique Sources

Chapter 5 Management Of Ministerial Stress

A.   Spiritual Resources

B.   Self-Help Resources

A Concluding Word

About The Author

Bibliography

Appendix I Signs Of Stress

Appendix II Stress Level Determiner

Appendix III Some General Causes Of Stress

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

—Ephesians 4:11–12 NKJV

My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.

—2 Corinthians 12:9a NKJV

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Advance Praise for Ministerial Emotional Well-Being

Compact, yet comprehensive. Ministerial Emotional Well-Being identifies stresses that are unique to ministers and provides practical management tools. This book is a must-have resource for ministers and their families.

—Gina C. Pervall, MD, CIME

Medical Director, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

I believe this book will assist pastors (as well as others) to understand that there are preventive and intervening spiritual and research proven self-help measures they can utilize to enable them to ministerial emotional well-being through the challenging times … the information in the appendices, invite the reader to reflect on their unique concerns and devise a plan of action. I fully endorse this writing.

—Kimberly M. Daniel, PhD,