{"id":6973,"date":"2020-10-29T15:21:05","date_gmt":"2020-10-29T19:21:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/?p=6973"},"modified":"2020-10-30T15:53:39","modified_gmt":"2020-10-30T19:53:39","slug":"ideas-for-clergy-pre-election-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/2020\/10\/ideas-for-clergy-pre-election-stress\/","title":{"rendered":"Ideas for Clergy Dealing with Pre-Election Stress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

I\u2019m the co-founder of a network of faith leaders called the Clergy Emergency League<\/a>\u00a0(CEL).\u00a0 We provide support, accountability, resources, and networking for clergy to prophetically minister in their congregations and the public square in this time of political upheaval, social unrest, and partisan division.\u00a0 With a potentially explosive election season on the horizon and the ongoing trauma of the Covid-19 pandemic, I wanted to find out how these clergy are coping with pre-election stress.<\/p>\n

I asked the members of the CEL Facebook group to rate their stress level on a scale of 1 \u2013 5 (5 being the highest).\u00a0 Then I asked how they\u2019re coping with this stress.\u00a0 Here\u2019s what I learned.<\/p>\n

On a scale of 1 \u2013 5 (5 being the highest), how stressed are you in the run-up to the election?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"\"
Clergy stress levels, pre-election. Informal poll of more than 100 clergy. Not all named a specific number for their stress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While this is an informal poll from a very small group of clergy, there\u2019s important information here.\u00a0 This graph gives us a window into the state of mind of some pastors in this pre-election period.<\/h3>\n

We can see from this chart that nearly half of pastors rated their stress level at a 4 or 5.\u00a0 But some respondents said that the scale wasn\u2019t big enough to contain their stress level!\u00a0 24% of these clergy indicated that they are \u201coff the chart\u201d when it comes to the anxiousness and concern they are feeling at this time.<\/p>\n

Combined, nearly three-quarters of the clergy in this informal poll said that they are experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety in the lead-up to the election.<\/p>\n

What clergy are worried about<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Many clergy are concerned about how to pastor their congregations through the post-election season.\u00a0 They are already under a tremendous amount of strain from learning how to pastor in a pandemic. Many of their congregations are already divided on issues around in-building worship, masking, and just keeping the church going.\u00a0 As well, many are worried about their\u00a0 access to healthcare, especially as at-risk churches slash budgets or even close.\u00a0 Add in the political divides, and the stress fractures become even more pronounced.\u00a0 Throw in existential concerns about the survival of democracy and the threats to vulnerable people, and for some, the strain is almost unbearable.<\/p>\n

Also, for those who have survived sexual, physical, or emotional abuse, the thought of another four years with the current president is terrifying.<\/p>\n

The stress of moral injury<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

But even for those who are relatively \u201csafe\u201d in terms of their race, gender, sexuality, and access to healthcare, there is another stressor that roils the conscience of many pastors.\u00a0 \u00a0It\u2019s called moral injury.<\/em><\/p>\n

According to the National Center for PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), moral injury is what happens when people witness events that \u201ccontradict deeply held moral beliefs and expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n

NCPTSD\u2019s Sonya B. Norman, PhD and Shira Maguen, PhD, explain<\/a> that when it comes to moral injury, \u201cIndividuals may experience betrayal from leadership, others in positions of power or peers that can result in adverse outcomes. Moral injury is the distressing psychological, behavioral, social, and sometimes spiritual aftermath of exposure to such events.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feelings of guilt, shame, and betrayal are common in moral injury. And for clergy who are trained to adhere to the moral teachings of their scriptures and faith communities, the moral injury experienced during the last four years has been painfully acute.<\/p>\n

Moral injury also heightens concerns about the safety of BIPOC citizens, the loss of rights for LGBTQIA+ folks.\u00a0 The idea of a continuation of policies that deny the climate crisis, put babies in cages, and ignore a pandemic causes incredible stress for many pastors.\u00a0 Add to this the knowledge that the criminal activities committed by this administration have largely gone without consequences or justice, and the moral injury is compounded.<\/p>\n

How clergy are experiencing pre-election stress<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Some of the pastors in the Clergy Emergency League group reported experiencing symptoms of high anxiety such as sleeplessness, hyper-awareness, teeth-clenching, and panic attacks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure how much more I can take,\u201d was a repeated refrain.<\/p>\n

Others admitted, \u201cHonestly, I\u2019m not doing a good job of coping.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even expectations of being able to cope can add to the stress.<\/h3>\n

That\u2019s one of the difficulties of this time for pastors.\u00a0 We can\u2019t just be \u201cchaplains\u201d in the midst of the disaster who go home from the catastrophe at the end of the day.\u00a0 We\u2019re living it right along with our parishioners.\u00a0 And sometimes our parishioners are giving us the most grief as we\u2019re trying to minister.\u00a0 So it\u2019s doubly, sometimes triply stressful.<\/p>\n

In other words, this is not a \u201cbuck up little camper\u201d moment. Rather, it\u2019s a time for deep listening and sitting in the sh!t together in solidarity and \u201cunreasonable hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

That being said, I did ask clergy to share how their coping with pre-election stress.\u00a0 Some of these ideas may help you as well.<\/p>\n

Ideas for clergy coping with pre-election stress<\/strong><\/h2>\n