Mental health in ministry

Ishbel Straker is a Consultant Psychiatric Nurse and one of her passions is the mental well-being within ministry. She has been working with Elim developing this provision for nearly three years and it continues to grow.

Ishbel is the Founder and CEO of I Straker
Consultants, a mental health service.

A number of years ago, I started to consider the mental load a minister carries and the impact this may have on their health, both physical and mental. I looked at the data, of which there is very little, especially in the UK. I then began a journey which has brought me here, to you.

I have been given the privilege of being able to engage with Elim personally and now through this column. I want to talk about all things mental health and the specific effect this has in ministry.

Why do I want to do this? Some may be reading this and thinking, if we talk about it, then it becomes an avenue for people to go down legitimately – it becomes more real. Some may even think that this generation of ministers needs to ‘get a grip’, and in your day, you simply got on with it. Well, I am thankful to say that things have changed, and ministry is moving with this cultural change.

The more we talk about mental health, guess what… the less we feel oppressed by our emotions, the more we feel validated and able to find solutions to cope that are healthy. When we open up and say things affect us, it does not make us weak or incapable but enables us to share the load with others without having to feel the need to emulate perfection. This is so important, not just for us, but for our spouses, children, friends, congregation, and staff.

Being open to the suggestion that the role of a minister, with its most joyous moments, also involves incredibly impactful elements which might well have a weathering effect on you is a good thing.

Now, hear me out. The reason for this is that with openness comes an opportunity to find resources to change; when we say we are struggling, not only are others free to voice their challenges, but there may be merit in finding out other people’s coping strategies. It’s also encouraging to hear the success stories, but we only hear them when we are prepared to share our struggles.

Perfection is not a valid goal; it doesn’t exist other than on Instagram! I am sure you are reading this in full agreement, but it’s the verbalisation of this that is empowering. When we say out loud that life’s tough and sometimes it feels a little lonely, a small layer of expectation within ourselves is shed, and we can feel a little lighter.

I am here to tell you, loud and clear for the people at the back, that it does not make you spiritually weak to feel impacted by events around you – low mood, anxiety, and other mental health issues are as debilitating as anything physical and can be equally as chronic. If you had a broken leg, would you feel less capable as a minister or less of an example? No, of course you wouldn’t! You would say these things happen, and it’s painful, but with rest, recuperation and the correct physio, it will heal.

So, let’s start to talk about how we feel; let’s feel able to open up about struggles and the raw fact that they can be breathtakingly painful. Let’s feel less responsible for our ability to cope silently with them, and, with me, let’s change the perception of mental resilience within ministry for the generations to come.

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.

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