I occasionally mention this little book which I contributed to. The pastor with a thorn in his side offers the stories of seven pastors who have suffered with depression.
There are four reasons why/ four types of people I encourage people to buy it and all are rooted in the myth that this book blows away, that pastors are immune to mental illness.
So first of all I recommend it to pastors who are themselves suffering from depression, to encourage them that they are not alone.
Secondly, I encourage pastors who haven’t suffered from depression to have a read, especially those starting out in ministry. It’s not that I want to give the impression that every pastor will get depressed but first, it’s worth being aware of possible challenges that may or may not come up, so you can be prepared. Furthermore, all pastors may not suffer depression but you will suffer in some way at some point and I think there analogous lessons and encouragements.
Thirdly, this is a helpful book to read if you are a church member and want to be alert to how you can best support your pastor.
Finally, I would encourage you to read the book if you are not a pastor but suffer from depression. The myth that pastors don’t suffer such things is unhelpful to other sufferers too because it also links to an imposed stigma. If we remove the stigma for pastor
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