Help for Hurting Pastors

Recovery is God leading us down unfamiliar paths.

Shine

Isolation is Optional

Join us on the journey of recovery!

Churches

Recovery: Finding the Missing Piece

Recovery begins with the feeling that we've missed something important.

Civic Involvement

The Painful Clarity of the Truth

The truth requires a lot less energy than deceit.

Action

Spiritual Poverty Never Feels Good

We await the blessing promised to the poor in spirit.

Action

WELCOME!

The Clergy Recovery Network exists to support, encourage and provide resources to religious professionals in recovery. If you are a pastor, missionary, religious professional--or a spouse of one--and you need help . . .welcome home. We have been waiting for you.

Dale O. Wolery
Executive Director

Welcome

If you are struggling with life, marriage or ministry and you are a ministry professional or spouse of one, this site is for you. It is also for those who love pastors and are seeking what is best for them. Help is a mouse click away. After reading Disclaimer go to Finding Help or click here to contact CRN directly. Real human beings with real solutions are waiting to care for you. You may not find simple solutions or pat answers but you will find insight, grace and hope. 

  • Need Information? The SERVICES we offer are listed on the right as well as under SEEKING HELP? . For information on your particular issue look under STRUGGLING?  or search the ARTICLES BY TOPIC section. 
  • Blogging: Blog with us! Most articles on the site are set for blogging but we especially invite you blog regarding our “Featured Article” below. It changes regularly. New to blogging? Click here to get started.
  • Polling: How are Christian leaders doing? What do they think? How bad are their struggles? Join fellow leaders by voting in our anonymous polls on the bottom right. Get a picture of what is really going on. View previous polls by checking out the “Poll Archives”.
  • Anonymous Recovery Groups: Two private, password protected forums for pastors and their spouses are ready for you to join. Click here to learn about them.

 We welcome you to our site. We welcome you to our hearts. Make yourself at home!

Featured Article: THE PEDESTAL PARADIGM

When shame and fear impact a pastor or congregation the result will always be a distortion of God’s intentions. The dysfunctional system which results is caught in what we call The Pedestal Paradigm-a silent, systemic malignancy which impairs a church’s mission and poisons its ministry. The Pedestal Paradigm has two complementary components. First, churches, in ways that are often unconscious and unacknowledged, put themselves on a pedestal. They assume that they are somehow unusually blessed, uniquely “right,” better than the pack. Pedestal churches find something in their culture, doctrine, size, history, or facilities to focus on that reminds them of their special stature. Second, Pedestal Paradigm churches (and their pastors!) assume that their pastor is somehow more than merely human. Of course, no church or pastor would ever say this aloud-it is not part of a church’s formal doctrine. It is nevertheless a deeply seated, largely unconscious assumption about the pastor. He is the “spiritual leader” and somehow “above” other members of the congregation.
Read the full post. . .