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Webinar will feature panel discussion with author Callie Swanlund

By Tabitha H. Rudy

Part-time Pastor; Full-Time Church will hold a webinar on June 12 at 7:30 p.m. (Eastern time) as a panel discussion with author Callie Swanlund, program manager Richard Wehrle, and the program’s circuit riders. Together they will discuss the topic of clergy burnout, which is the focus of Swanlund’s new book From Weary to Wholehearted: A Restorative Resource for Overcoming Clergy Burnout.

This webinar is being held in place of the previously announced book study.

It is no secret that many pastors in the Church of the Brethren are suffering the effects of burnout. This reality is amplified by many pastors also having additional responsibilities in the form of work outside of the congregation. Pastors take on this additional work for various reasons including the need for additional income and benefits to support them and their families.

Multi-vocational or part-time pastors account for just over 75 percent of the pastoral leadership in our denomination. This has been an ongoing cultural shift in our churches for many years and it is one that will likely continue in the future. Offering viable resources to multi-vocational pastors is vital to sustaining the health of both pastors and congregations.

Ministry needs do not change for those who are called to serve congregations on a less than full-time basis. Often the leaders of these congregations are deprived of the time and energy to focus on caring for themselves as they minister to those in their community. From Weary to Wholehearted does not claim to have all the answers but it can be a valuable companion to encourage pastors in establishing healthy peer relationships and engaging in healthy spiritual and emotional practices, two of the core pieces that our program offers.

We invite multi-vocational pastors and congregational leaders to join us for this webinar. We also invite those attending Annual Conference (in person or virtually) to attend our hybrid equipping session led by Swanlund on July 4 at 8 p.m. (Eastern time). On July 6 at Annual Conference, the program will host a dinner event with Swanlund as the speaker for a conversation titled “Kinship and Pork Chops.” We hope that you will be able to attend one or all of these inspiring events.

Register for the webinar by June 11 at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iv2gX4wFRXKKkbYw-HjP4w. For questions about the webinar contact Richard Wehrle (rwehrle@brethren.org) or Tabitha Rudy (adminptpftc@brethren.org).

— Tabitha H. Rudy is administrative assistant for Part-time Pastor; Full-time Church, in the Ministry Office of the Church of the Brethren.

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