Bishops fear over clergy burnout threat
Date: Feb 3
By Michael Brownand Jonathan Wynne-Jones

CLERGY are working too hard and more of them could find their marriages breaking down as a result, a bishop has warned. The Bishop of Hulme, the Rt Rev Stephen Lowe, is so concerned at the potential “burnout” of priests and the effects on their families that he has called for a national debate on their plight. In an article published in this month’s edition of CRUX, the Manchester diocesan magazine, he said that clergy have not got the “life/work balance” right.

Last week, a survey revealed that more than half of clergy wives have suffered from work overload, but the Bishop’s comments highlight the challenges faced by the clergy family. “I know some clergy who never take holidays, are not happy about leaving their church to other priests’ care. And I know some clergy families who feel they always come second to the job and suffer as a result.” Bishop Lowe continued: “Clergy marriages are not supposed to break down or go through choppy waters. Clergy children shouldn’t make demands on their parents that take them away from the parish – the excuse that ‘I need to put my child to bed tonight’ doesn’t seem convincing.” The rest