Hi Reader,

If you're tired, you can sleep. If you're exhausted, you can take a vacation or sabbatical. But if you're wounded, then what? Time off won't heal your wounds. And so many church leaders are walking wounded.

So...this week on the podcast, I sit down with Glenn Packiam—pastor, theologian, and author of The Resilient Pastor—to unpack the growing crisis in ministry leadership.

We discuss:

👉 The difference between being weary and wounded—and why rest alone won’t fix everything
👉 Why pastors are struggling with loneliness more than ever
👉 The cultural shifts making ministry leadership harder than in past generations
👉 How to rebuild trust when institutions—including the church—are viewed with skepticism

If you’re feeling the weight of leadership right now, this episode is for you. You’ll walk away with practical insights to lead with resilience and clarity in a rapidly shifting culture.

Watch today's conversation.

Glenn Packiam talks about how to pastor in an age where no one trusts pastors, the church leader mental health crisis, especially among next gen leaders, and the difference between being weary and being wounded in leadership.

Watch it on YouTube or tune in wherever you listen to podcasts.

This episode is brought to you by...

Gloo AI

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Belay

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Go Deeper

My #1 takeaway from this conversation.

You can heal being weary with rest. But many pastors are wounded, and you can't heal being wounded with a sabbatical.

Episode questions.

Here are 3 questions you can ask yourself as you listen to the episode. You can also use these as discussion starters with friends, a mentor, or staff.

1. Am I weary, or am I wounded?
2. Who are my trusted people? Do I have a constellation of relationships—mentors, peers, friends, and counselors—who truly know me and can support me?
3. Am I carrying expectations I was never meant to bear? Am I trying to be awesome at everything, or am I focusing on what God has truly called me to?

Transcript and links.

​Glenn Packiam's Website​

​What's a Christian, Anyway? by Glenn Packiam​

​Glenn Packiam's Substack​

​Glenn Packiam's Instagram​

​Glenn Packiam's Facebook​

​Glenn Packiam's LinkedIn​

​Glenn Packiam's YouTube​

​The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt​

​Status Anxiety by Alan Jacobs​

​Barna article | 7-Year Trends: Pastors Feel More Loneliness and Less Support​

​NT Wright on What Jesus Would Say to the "Empire" Today​

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Cheering for you,

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Carey Nieuwhof Communications, PO Box 160, Oro Medonte, Ontario L0L 2X0