When A Pastor Commits Suicide

Jim
Church & Ministry
Suicide

“Yet another pastor committed suicide. But this time, he was my close friend. And so I keep asking myself: How do I make sense of this? After all, this seasoned pastor wasn’t a phony Saul (1 Sam. 31:4). He was a genuine believer whose life bore much fruit. He wasn’t a guilt-ridden Judas (Mt. 27:5). He loved Jesus and understood Christ’s atonement; he had sound theology. Neither does it seem like he was running away from scandal. So how can I understand this shocking tragedy?”

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Discussion

Profile picture for user Bert Perry
Bert Perry
Tue, 12/04/18 9:43 am

Read through the pastor’s life story—depression, working a job to support his pastoral habit, being shepherd of a dwindling church, etc..—and see if any thoughts come up. This is well worth the read.

Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.

Profile picture for user Ed Vasicek
Ed Vasicek
Tue, 12/04/18 10:25 am

Who has been in the ministry for a significant period of time without becoming depressed? I have been depressed when the ministry seemed to be going well when measured by the 3 B’s (bodies, bucks, and buildings), but conflict was at every corner. I have been depressed when people have attacked me, left the church, blamed me for declining numbers, etc., etc.

While many of us respond to ministry depression with thoughts of leaving the ministry, those prone to depression (and this man was medicated for it) can easily turn to thoughts of suicide. It is tragic! Unfortunately, pastors are people too, with all the weaknesses we associate with humanity.

If there is a lesson, it might be this: there can be a time to leave ministry. Unfortunately, many of us do not have a skill set that makes us easily employable in other fields.

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