Should Pastors Be Available All the Time?
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Used by permission: Ministry: International Journal for Pastors and the authors.
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Abstract
New technology in the form of 24/7 email brings with it increased expectations of begin available, adding to the pressures of work-life balance for employees. Few studies have explored this from the perspective of the Christian pastor, and none within the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) pastoral context. We extend the literature in this area by examining the impact of increased work-email on the work-life balance of SDA local church pastors. Based on responses from Australian SDA local church pastors we find that while pastors find there are some advantages in the flexibility offered by 24/7 work email, it also increases the work pressures on them, impacting on stress and relationships. Effective work-life balance is becoming more difficult for the SDA local church pastor to achieve.
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Long, W., & Williams, P. (2016). Should pastors be available all the time? Ministry: International Journal for Pastors, 88(5), 13-16.