What action would you recommend to Darnell Evans in this case? (Give your answer in not more than 50 words.)
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Turabian citation
Burnout Case Study
Read the case study “Fourth and Long.” Then answer the questions at the end. Be sure to include the questions with your responses in your paper.
Fourth and Long
Darnell Evans sat in the living room of his home staring at the empty fireplace, stroking the fur of Lady, his faithful golden retriever. He had been up for several hours this morning, but he still hadn’t gotten dressed. “Man,” he said to Lady, “how did we get here?” Lady looked up at him as if to say, “Go on, I’m listening.” “I don’t have anything left to give, girl, I think it’s time to punt.”
Four years earlier, Darnell came to Long Street Community Church to succeed the Reverend Dr. Wilfred Landis. An icon in the community and the denomination, Landis had marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at Selma and pastored Long Street Church for over fifty years. Darnell had grown up at Long Street Church and went on to become a star football player at a major university in the state. After several seasons in the National Football League (NFL), Darnell attended a prestigious seminary, finding time during breaks to preach and to lead youth and young adult ministries during the summers. And when Dr. Landis announced his retirement shortly before Darnell graduated, it looked like his future was set.
The first couple of years of ministry went by quickly. The congregation seemed ready for the changes Darnell had in mind. More younger adults and families began attending, drawn by Darnell’s energetic personality and his more intellectual and practical style of preaching. He proved to be a natural leader and organizer, and the church added new ministries led by a growing staff team and a small army of volunteers. Long Street Community Church was once again at the center of things in the city.
In his third year, however, Darnell began feeling like he didn’t have enough time for everything. He started skipping some workout sessions and working later into the night. His wife, Margot, noticed he wasn’t spending as much time with their three young children. As a football player, Darnell had been almost fanatical about eating healthy foods, but now he found it was easier just to grab some fast food between meetings or appointments. At his annual physical exam, he learned he’d gained 15 pounds in the past year.
Some of the elders noticed Darnell seemed to be always running late for appointments, or even missing them altogether. Others observed that Darnell rarely spent time with older members of the congregation. “Dr. Landis always visited us in the hospital,” said Lenora Jackson, a longtime member in her late eighties. “But it seems like Pastor Evans is too busy to see us.” Still others shared concerns with Darnell’s collaborative leadership style, comparing him unfavorably to the decisive and commanding Dr. Landis or complaining about his “loud and proud” support for his university and NFL teams.
Now as he started his fourth year, Darnell found himself feeling tired most of the time. Just this morning, Margot reminded him that they hadn’t taken a vacation in over a year. While the church was running smoothly, he admitted to himself that he really didn’t have a vision for its future beyond the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. And Darnell found his time in prayer and Bible reading becoming more and more routine.
Darnell was also more on edge lately. Small things seemed to bother him more than usual. Last Sunday, he shocked himself and several others standing around in the church office when he snapped at George Boston, the church treasurer, “Do your job or I’ll find someone else who will!” He knew instantly that he’d crossed a line and immediately apologized and asked for forgiveness. But the cat was out of the bag. George graciously replied, “I know your job is stressful, Pastor. I understand.”
Nevertheless, the episode got Darnell thinking: “Is ministry supposed to be this stressful? Isn’t serving God supposed to be energizing and life-giving? There’s just so much to do and there’s no way I can do everything they need me to do or to do it exactly the way they want it done. What’s going on that I feel exhausted and can’t go on?”
Then yesterday, George Boston called, asking if Darnell would come to a special meeting of the elder board later that evening. The elders were supportive and encouraging, but they were also blunt in their assessment of Darnell’s situation. “You can’t go on like this, young man,” George stated severely. Darnell could see a look of genuine compassion in the older man’s eyes. “You have got to get a hold of things before they get a hold of you!” As the meeting ended and the last of the elders exited the room, George came up to Darnell and pressed a business card into his hand. “This is Dr. Keith Wilson. He’s a psychologist and a good man. He knows quite a lot about burnout. Give him a call.”
Now, as Darnell scratched Lady’s head behind her ears, he picked up Dr. Wilson’s card. “I guess the next play will change the game,” he said. At that, Lady jumped up onto Darnell’s lap and proceeded to lick his face.
[This case was prepared by Dr. Robb Redman, founding Dean of South University, Department of Theology, as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate effective or ineffective handling of the situation.]
Tasks:
What action would you recommend to Darnell Evans in this case? (Give your answer in not more than 50 words.)
In recommending this action, what would be your immediate objectives? What would be your longer-range objectives? (Give your answer in not more than 100 words.)
What theological assumptions or presuppositions determined your response? (Support your assumptions with at least three references drawn from your course textbooks Courage and Calling and/or Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives.) (Give your answer in not more than 200 words.)
Ray Anderson wrote, “Clergy burnout is a symptom of theological amnesia.” Do you agree? Why or why not? (Give your answer in not more than 150 words.)
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