Associate Dean Bryan Stone Mentioned in Christian Daily Article on Pastor ‘Burnout’
The following is an excerpt from the article “38% Of Protestant Pastors Want To Quit Due To ‘Significant Burnout,’” by Olivia Cavallaro, published on November 17, 2021 by Christian Daily. Read the full article here. Associate Dean Stone’s profile is found here.
The Christian Century magazine editor Rev. Peter Marty remarked that the COVID pandemic made a challenging situation even more difficult and stressful for pastors in the last couple of years. Rev. Marty, who also serves as a senior pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Davenport, Iowa, explained that even before the COVID pandemic, the church had already been going through some “remarkable” changes.
On top of that, the COVID pandemic “introduced a whole new ste [sic] of stresses,” for a lot of clergy who “suddenly found themselves unavoidably becoming online content creators and video producers.” These church leaders, who were used to in-person ministry, found it challenging to be isolated in their new role.
Meanwhile, Boston University’s School of Theology associate dean of academic affairs and Church of Nazarene pastor Rev. Brian P. Stone cited a new “consumer” attitude among churchgoers that made it difficult for pastors to carry out their jobs. He remarked that churchgoers nowadays expect a “megachurch” type of experience in small town congregations with just some 50 or so people.