Clergy Burnout

Book excerpt: In this highly accessible book, Fred Lehr clarifies the nature and practice of clergy codependence. In twenty-two, short, insightful, and highly readable chapters, filled with many examples and stories from his own life and those of others he has counseled, Lehr identifies the typical forms codependence takes in the life and ministry of clergy: (1) the chief-enabler, the one who keeps things functioning; (2) the scapegoat, the one on whom everything's blamed when it goes wrong, the one who's responsible; (3) the hero, the example, the pure and righteous one; (4) the lost child, the one no one really knows or cares about; (5) the rescuer, the one who saves the day, makes the visit, fixes the problem, makes everything all right again; (6) the mascot, the cheerleader, the one who offers comic relief, brings down the tension level after a heated discussion.