All of us will have times when we experience significant personal trauma, and pastors are not immune.
In fact these experiences can be especially challenging for those who would normally be the ones offering support. Helping your pastor, and their family, navigate these times can be difficult, both for leadership and for the congregation. The team at Thrive Pastor and Church Support have produced an excellent resource that we recommend. Link here.
The podcast episode below features an interview with Andrew Bollen, a Baptist pastor. Andrew discusses the trauma of facing the sudden loss of a teenage child, and offers a brave and frank insight into the ways that this sort of tragedy impacts pastors and their families.
These articles offer further insight:
Extra grief, loss and suicide bereavement resources are located here
The death of a child and the place of lament and sorrow in faith, with Andrew Bollen
With grace, vulnerability, and honesty, Andrew shares the story of the death of his son. Hear how people around him responded, and about how his…