Why The World Needs More Emotionally Healthy Pastors
We’ve all felt that gut-punch moment when news breaks that another well-known pastor has fallen. Another church is torn apart. Another community left heartbroken and disoriented. It’s easy to focus on the surface, the headlines, the public apology, the visible collapse. But if you pause and look a little closer, there’s often something far deeper going on beneath it all:
Unhealed wounds, unchecked emotional dysfunction, and inner battles that were never brought into the light.
It’s rarely just about burnout or moral failure. More often than not, it’s about a leader silently battling within, never making space to tend to their soul or pursue emotional wholeness.
The danger is, what’s unhealed on the inside eventually finds its way out.
That inner struggle doesn’t stay buried, it seeps into sermons, leadership decisions, team dynamics, and discipleship moments, with emotionally unhealthy pastors often leaving behind a trail of chaos and confusion in their wake.
And I don’t say any of this to criticise or cast judgment on pastors. I say it with deep empathy, respect, and admiration for those carrying the weight of leadership. As someone who’s been in ministry for over 20 years, I know just how tough it can be.
Pastoring isn’t a career, it’s a sacred calling. And with that calling comes a weight few truly understand. On any given day, you’re expected to be a preacher, visionary, CEO, mentor, crisis responder, counsellor, and more. It’s a profound privilege to serve in this way, but it demands more than charisma or gifting. It takes a sober mind, a grounded spirit, and a heart committed to both spiritual and emotional growth
Now more than ever, the world (and the Church) needs leaders who are both spiritually mature and emotionally whole.
Healthy pastors understand that it’s not one or the other, it’s both. They don’t just build their spirit; they tend to their soul. They pursue God through prayer, the Word, communion, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. But they also lean into the inner work, developing self-awareness, processing past wounds, engaging in therapy, growing in emotional intelligence, and committing to relational maturity.
They know that inner healing isn’t optional, it’s essential. Because when leaders are whole on the inside, they lead with clarity, compassion, and integrity on the outside. Their ministry flows not just from gifting, but from depth. They don’t just build ministries, they build movements that last.
So, here are 5 markers of an Emotionally Healthy Leader
1. Emotionally Healthy Leaders Are Committed to Personal Growth, Not Just Numerical Growth
Healthy leaders prioritise personal development over external success. They understand that their private world, their character, motives, and inner life, needs just as much attention as the ministries they oversee. As John Ortberg puts it, “The single most important thing in your life is your soul. It is not your career, your success, your reputation, or your achievements.”
Ruth Haley Barton echoes this truth: “The best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self.”
Emotionally and spiritually mature leaders know that who they are behind closed doors ultimately shapes the culture they create and the legacy they leave.
While numerical growth can be meaningful, it’s often just the byproduct of something deeper. When leaders commit to becoming more like Christ, formed in His image from the inside out, they become not only more whole, but more effective. Because the most powerful ministry doesn’t come from striving. It comes from overflow.
As A.W. Tozer once said, “A man’s true state of spiritual maturity is not how he acts in public, but who he is when he is alone with God.”
2. Emotionally Healthy Leaders Are Aware of Their Impact, Not Just Their Intent
I remember saying to a colleague once, “Honestly, I love being a pastor. When the church is healthy, it’s beautiful, and it blesses so many lives. But when it’s not, it can cause deep heartache.”
More often than not, that heartache starts at the top, when a leader becomes more driven by ego than by love, and begins to excuse poor behaviour with, “That wasn’t my intention.”
But here’s the hard truth: good intentions don’t erase harmful impact. Emotionally healthy leaders understand that their words and actions carry weight. Even when the heart is in the right place, carelessness or defensiveness can still wound others.
That’s why mature leaders take responsibility, not just for their vision, but for how they make others feel along the way. They don’t hide behind intent, they lean into humility.. They ask hard questions like, “How did that land?” or “What can I learn from this?” They care more about integrity than image.
Dallas Willard put it beautifully: “The greatest leaders are those willing to be learners.” That kind of humility builds trust. It looks like seeking feedback, embracing accountability, and staying sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
As Proverbs 15:31 reminds us, “If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise.” Healthy leadership isn’t about being perfect, it’s about being teachable and self-aware.
3. Emotionally Healthy Leaders Don’t Hide Their Mistakes, They Confess Them
Emotionally unhealthy leaders tend to shift blame, minimise their actions, or avoid accountability altogether. But true leadership, Christlike leadership, is built on honesty, integrity, and the courage to own your shortcomings.
Tim Keller captures this beautifully: “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time, we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”
That means we don’t have to pretend or perform, we can be real. And when pastors lead with that kind of gospel-centred humility, it changes the atmosphere.
Owning your mistakes isn’t weakness; it’s strength. Emotionally healthy pastors model confession and repentance, not as a last resort, but as a rhythm of spiritual maturity. As James 5:16 reminds us, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” Healing doesn’t happen in hiding. It happens in honesty.
Brené Brown puts it this way: “Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity.”When leaders lead with transparency, they create a culture where grace, growth, and healing are possible, for themselves and for those they serve.
4. Emotionally Healthy Leaders Don’t Use People, They Serve People
Healthy leadership is never about building a platform, it’s about building people. Emotionally healthy leaders don’t see others as a means to an end or tools to grow a ministry. Instead, they carry a deep belief that people aren’t there to build the church; the church is there to build people.
As Henri Nouwen so powerfully puts it, “The way of the Christian leader is not the way of upward mobility but the way of downward mobility. It is the way of the cross.” In a world obsessed with influence and status, the call of Christ still sounds the same: deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.
True leadership looks like kneeling before washing feet, not climbing over others to gain position. It means seeing the people in front of you not as resources to grow a brand, but as souls to be nurtured and equipped.
1 Peter 5:2–3 reminds us, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care… not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” Emotionally healthy pastors don’t just preach servanthood, they live it. They lead by example. They don’t demand loyalty, they build trust.
5. Emotionally Healthy Leaders Don’t Just Work for Christ, They Resemble Him
The true mark of a great leader isn’t in their accomplishments, but in how much they resemble Christ. As A.W. Tozer wisely said, “The man who would truly know God must give time to Him.” Healthy leaders seek to embody Christ’s compassion, humility, and love, reflecting Him in all they do. 1 John 2:6 reminds us, “Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.”
Good leaders keep Christ on the throne and avoid putting themselves on a pedestal.
They know that it’s His church, and they’re simply stewards. The world needs more emotionally healthy pastors who lead with integrity, humility, and Christ-like love.
“Because leadership is not about your glory; it’s about pointing others to His.” - Paul David Tripp
The world doesn’t need more polished performers, it needs pastors and leaders who are present, grounded, and growing. Leaders who are just as committed to their inner life as they are to their public calling.
Because when we lead from a place of emotional and spiritual health, our ministries don’t just grow—they flourish. And the people we serve don’t just follow us, they encounter Jesus through us.
So may we be those kinds of leaders. Honest. Teachable. Spirit-led. Emotionally whole. Because the Church is at its best when its leaders are healthy, and the world is watching.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article reflect my personal Christian faith and worldview. The content is shared to encourage those who resonate with these beliefs and is not intended to impose beliefs or serve as professional psychological advice. I respect that each reader may hold different beliefs and invite you to engage with the content in a way that honours your own values.