Scott E Dunbar

Pastors play a fundamental role in churches across the globe, yet more and more are finding themselves struggling with the stress of ministry life and experiencing burnout. The consequences of pastoral burnout can be severe and impact not only individuals' physical, mental, and emotional well-being, but spillover to their families and congregations as well. Despite this increasingly common problem, the subject of pastors and their unique experiences has not been well studied. Caring for our Shepherds is written to pastors and for pastors. In this book, researchers on pastoral burnout, Thomas V. Frederick, Yvonne Thai, and Scott Dunbar answer the questions: what is pastoral or ministry burnout, how can it be guarded against, and how can we help those experiencing it? The reader will not only develop a deeper understanding for the demands of ministry, but also be provided with specific practical and spiritual frameworks to cope with those demands in ways that promote a positive and healthy mindset. Caring for our Shepherds is an excellent resource not only for those in ministry, but to those who desire to pour back into those who serve in the church.

Pastors play a fundamental role in churches across the globe, yet more and more are finding themselves struggling with the stress of ministry life and experiencing burnout. The consequences of pastoral burnout can be severe and impact not only individuals' physical, mental, and emotional well-being, but spillover to their families and congregations as well. Despite this increasingly common problem, the subject of pastors and their unique experiences has not been well studied. Caring for our Shepherds is written to pastors and for pastors. In this book, researchers on pastoral burnout, Thomas V. Frederick, Yvonne Thai, and Scott Dunbar answer the questions: what is pastoral or ministry burnout, how can it be guarded against, and how can we help those experiencing it? The reader will not only develop a deeper understanding for the demands of ministry, but also be provided with specific practical and spiritual frameworks to cope with those demands in ways that promote a positive and healthy mindset. Caring for our Shepherds is an excellent resource not only for those in ministry, but to those who desire to pour back into those who serve in the church.

Identity, Calling, and Workplace Spirituality integrates theological scholarship on the construct of work and calling with organizational psychology research on workplace spirituality and career fit. Frederick and Dunbar integrate these two domains to advance theological scholarship on vocation, work, and human nature. This focus provides crucial insights in terms of understanding how a Christian’s work fulfills a God-given calling and reflects the Christian doctrine of the image of God.

In A Christian Approach to Work and Family Burnout, Thomas V. Frederick and Scott E. Dunbar provide a Christian spiritual model to prevent and cope with burnout caused by the workplace and conflict with family. Coupled with indifference and lack of urgency, burnout eliminates a sense of purposefulness and results in psychological depletion. To counter this, Frederick and Dunbar stress the importance of connecting with God in order to understand intrinsic motivations and redefine work as a calling and means to care for others.