Case study - Joe
Joe is a 40 year old male who has been a Circuit minister for 15 years and is married with two
children aged 6 and 9. His wife has a demanding job as a senior social worker. He is very
conscientious and committed, and is held in high regard by his churches. He was diagnosed with
scoliosis (curvature of the spine) when a child and had surgery on his back as a young adult. For
many years his condition did not impose significant limitations on his ministry, but over the last 5
years the condition has deteriorated. His Consultant has recently told him that there is no possibility
of further surgery and that the treatment strategy is to manage the symptoms by pain relief
medication and light exercise.
Joe now finds he is often in pain and needs to rest regularly due to the fatigue that this causes. He
also suspects that the painkillers contribute to his feelings of tiredness and low mood. Things have
reached a point where he is struggling emotionally and physically and seeks to have a pastoral
conversation with you. In this discussion he tells you:
a) He is struggling with the demands of Circuit ministry, and finds himself unable to work the
55 hours a week that he feels he needs to do in order to keep on top of the demands of his
churches. He is also struggling with the demands of keeping the manse clean and tidy, and
the garden under control.
b) He is experiencing feelings of self doubt and loss of calling. His sense of God in his life is
diminished and he feels spiritually dry. He wonders whether this is because he finds day to
day life an increasing struggle.
c) Each day he needs to rest in order to manage the tiredness and pain, and finds evening
meetings particularly difficult. However, the expectations on him have not diminished, and
he is reluctant to burden the Circuit with his difficulties. He also struggles to fit in the daily
exercise which helps him, due to his workload.
d) On a practical level he wonders whether his workstation layout in his study and the church
office where he often works is contributing to his pain, and whether there is anything that
could be done about this. He also finds standing for long periods difficult, which sometimes
makes leading worship stressful.
Contextual information: Joe has responsibility for 5 churches in a mixture of outer suburban/rural
environments. The churches are some distance apart, necessitating lengthy car journeys. Three of
the churches are well served by experienced volunteers whilst the remaining two (the most isolated,
rural ones) are struggling with issues of conflict and other interpersonal difficulties. These require
sustained time and attention from the minister. The other ministers in the Circuit both have
demanding work loads, but are well supported by enthusiastic supernumeraries.
Issues for you to consider
1. What kind of support do you think Joe needs to help him in his journey of faith, his
ministry and day to day life?
2. How will you balance Joe's needs against the demands of his churches?
3. What Connexional advice/resources might be helpful in this situation?