What the resignation of Cross Point's Pete Wilson says about pastor burnout

The recent resignation of a Nashville pastor, who told his congregation he was tired and broken, illuminated what experts say is a real pitfall of leading a church. Pastors can burn out.

Ministering to a congregation, especially a large one, can be stressful and lonely, said Ed Stetzer, who has founded six churches and served as interim pastor at several others. One survey by Nashville-based LifeWay Research found that 19 percent of pastors who left before age 65 did so because of burnout.

Pastor Pete Wilson, who led Cross Point Church for 14 years, announced Sept. 11 he was stepping down after "leading on empty" for sometime. Wilson, 42, said he made the church a priority, but did not prioritize "some other things that were equally as important." He didn't share specific details.

"I think ultimately we have to put guardrails around ourselves relationally to keep those moments from happening," said Stetzer, who previously led LifeWay Research.

Cross Point Church pastor Pete Wilson resigns after 14 years

Wilson founded Cross Point in 2002 with a small congregation. Today, the church says it welcomes almost 7,500 people each week and has six locations throughout the Nashville area. Cross Point's rapid growth garnered national attention, and it was repeatedly named one of the largest and fasting-growing churches in the country in a special report by Outreach Magazine and LifeWay Research.

"I do think that the complexity of pastoring a church of that size and growth can and has gotten the best of some people. It’s not an easy task to do," said Stetzer, who heads the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism at Wheaton College. "I’ve been the founding pastor of six churches and often they’re just so interwoven with you that it’s hard when you’re leading on empty to find a way, places and ways to get away to recharge."

Burnout isn't the only reason pastors step down.

LifeWay Research also found that 40 percent left pastoral work before age 65 because they had a change in calling, 25 percent cited a conflict in a church, 12 percent left because of personal finances and 12 percent left for family issues. The online survey conducted in 2015 asked questions of 734 former senior pastors who left in four Protestant denominations, and respondents could choose more than one reason.

Wilson’s resignation was another reminder to 28-year-old Matt Svoboda, a campus pastor of Bridge Church in Spring Hill, to keep a close eye on the impacts of his job. If it can happen to pastors he looks up to and respects, it can happen to him, he said.

"I think in trying to accomplish things for the Lord we can lose sight of the Lord himself," said Svoboda, who has worked in ministry for six years.

Svoboda never would have picked one of his mentors as someone who would step down, but then his mentor did. The young pastor also pointed to Mark Driscoll, who resigned from Mars Hill Church in Seattle after a series of scandals, and Darren Patrick’s removal from an Acts 29 megachurch in St. Louis for “historical patterns of sin.”

Cross Point to start search for new leader after pastor resigns

While at different points in their careers, Stetzer and Svoboda made a point to build close relationships with a small group of people who can minister to their needs.

"Anything unhealthy they see in my life they need to be able to call out. And that from them I will humbly receive it knowing that they're saying that to me because they love me and they care about me. They don't want me to be the next whatever, fallen pastor that we see in the news now every other week," Svoboda said.

Only about 1 percent leave the pastorate annually for reasons other than death or retirement, another LifeWay Research survey stated. Respondents in the March 2015 survey were 1,500 senior pastors at evangelical and historically black churches.

Warren Bird, a leading researcher and writer on large churches, said church leaders have more opportunities for rest and a recharge than ever before, including pastoral retreats, good books and solid research.

"I have seen many megachurch leaders up close, and while all bear a tremendous load upon their shoulders, most have found rhythms and pathways that can keep them thriving for the long haul," Bird said.

Reach Holly Meyer at 615-259-8241 and on Twitter @HollyAMeyer.