Church Worker Wellness
Posted on June 4, 2021
by Toni Larson, LISW
Church workers don’t enter their vocation without bringing along their personal histories. This is the case with many helping professionals; they enter service professions having experienced their own issues. These issues could be personal or family trauma (abuse, substance abuse, loss of a parent or sibling, etc.); they may be genetically or biologically predisposed to depression, anxiety disorders, or addictions; they may develop, due to their circumstances and personality, depression, anxiety, addiction issues, etc.; and they may encounter current stressful life issues with their own spouse or children, congregations, transitions in life such as empty nest and retirement, and community conflict.