“Another shepherd killed himself!? Sentences and news like this, about pastors who have opted for self-extermination, have spread somewhat frequently on social media. In November-December 2018 and January 2019 no fewer than 6 cases were reported. This is alarming, including men and women, workers of different religions, with varied ministerial experiences and serving in different social contexts; however, the most common factor among them was the fact that they all left family, congregations and friends who were devastated and concerned about the reasons that led them to make such a radical decision.
Actually, suicide is a complex issue. No one should discuss it in a simplistic way, at the risk of being seen as a narrow or reductionist person. When it comes to the suicide of gospel pastors and preachers, the problem becomes much more troubling. In general, these saints are expected to do so, to know where to find hope in situations that promote despair. This is at least the example given by the Apostle Paul when he said to the Corinthians: “We, brethren, do not want to ignore the nature of the tribulation that has fallen upon us in Asia, because it was beyond our strength, to the point of despairing even of life itself; However, already within ourselves, we have had the death penalty, not for trusting in ourselves, but in the God who resurrects the dead?(2C 1. 8- However, the latest developments prove that this does not always happen, some gospel ministers cannot carry the burden of life and end their lives.
- Before commenting on the suicide of pastors.
- Four fundamental factors must be taken into account: first.
- That in a fallen and broken world like the one we live in.
- Suffering and pain.
- Whether physical.
- Psychological.
- Emotional or spiritual.
- Saves any social class.
- Not even the ministers of the gospel.
- Therefore.
- The fragility of pastoral culture should not surprise or surprise our side of eternity.
- Second.
- Suicide is a form of death that is usually advertised [1].
- In this regard.
- Kay Warren.
- Wife of Pastor Rick Warren and mother of the young Matthew Warren.
- Who committed suicide in April 2013.
- Recalls that life prevention centers continually report that for every suicide consumed.
- At least 25 attempts.
- [2] Thus.
- The problem is that the culture of abandonment is a fertile landscape for this calamity and to combat it it is important to be sensitive to the pain of others.
- Including that of pastors.
Third, insecurity and fear that the pastor would normally expose himself, share his pain, and seek help is more aggravating than ministry pressures or depression. Many are afraid of opening up and then not being understood, but judged and condemned. Unfortunately, the immediate result of this attitude has been isolation and aggravation of pain for some. It is a fact that pastors must learn to express their anxieties and seek help with their personal struggles. Fourth, we must consider that the disclosure of suicide cases on social networks does not always bring the desired result to remedy this tragic phenomenon. In an article on this topic, researchers David D. Luxton, Jennifer D. June, and Jonathan M. Fairall state that there is growing evidence that the Internet and the media can negatively influence certain behaviors associated with suicide. [3] This should discourage any trivialization of the sad facts related to the cases of pastors who have opted for self-extermination. Additionally, ultra-fast news streams about pastoral suicide should be considered, as rather than feeding fear, they can be meaningful to those who flirt with the possibility.
After considering these preliminary questions, the difficulty remains knowing what to think, what to say, and how to act properly when a pastor commits suicide. What factors should be analyzed in the face of such tragic events?The answer may vary, but there are certainly things to consider, as suggested below.
1. Se consider the action of Satanás. No it is mere jargon to say that Satan is alive and active on planet Earth. Does the Bible clearly teach that the adversary, the devil, walks like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour?(1Pe 5. 8). Moreover, ecclesiastical leaders appear to be the main objectives of the enemy, for there is a biblical principle that if the shepherd is wounded, the sheep will be confused and scattered (cf. Numbers 27. 17, 1Re 22. 17, Ez 34. 5, Zc 13. 7). In this way, the one who benefits most from the desperation and suicide of a worker is Satan himself. The confusion, chatting, and weakening of faith of many common attitudes on these occasions end up serving the enemy’s intentions.
However, knowing that Satan and the principality of darkness are involved in the defeats of the gospel preachers does not amount to being simplistic and saying that the devil did this. Such discovery implies recognizing the reality of spiritual warfare, the destructive action of darkness. and even the failure of some Christians to discern and resist the attacks of evil. Ignoring the reality of satanic action on these issues feeds myopic conclusions and does not correspond to biblical teaching.
2. Church leaders should review how they have treated their pastors. There are leaders of the local church (ex, deaconos and other workers) who treat their pastors in a totally anti-Christian way. They seem to understand the biblical prohibition ed. 1P 5. 1 -4), but do they not mind acting as “bosses” and directors of their shepherds, ignoring in doing so the sacred principle of treating with double honor those engaged in preaching and teaching (cf. 1 Tim 5. 17). Because they ignore the biblical principle, these leaders end up without worrying about mistreating God’s ministers, nor do they understand that God does not bless a church whose leadership despises His Word.
In fact, some leaders act as if they have been given a divine mission to keep their pastors humble and therefore treat them miserably! Such treatment can involve low wages, strict police surveillance and verbal abuse, emotional abuse, neglect of relationships, and professional devaluation. To make matters worse, the Minister’s family is also suffering the traumatic effects of this treatment, so on the news that pastors have reached the bottom of despair to the point of suicide, some church leaders should review their concepts and assess whether they are complicit in some of these deaths.
Pastors must resist the trap of victimization. Faced with the tragic news involving pastors and other gospel workers, it is tempting to think that these saints are simply victims of injustice and evil. Many have used the same social media channels that report on the suicides of pastors to protest that evangelical ministers are forgotten, abhorred, vilified and despised. There is no doubt at any time that this is happening in some evangelical camps, but it is not right to justify the option of suicide by abuse. On the contrary, the suffering shepherd must remember that he identifies him with Christ, the suffering Servant, and with the holy apostles of the past (cf. Jn 15, 20 and 1Co 4. 9-13). If a believer, not just shepherds, analyzes his fortune only horizontally, he can succumb to the despair resulting from the suffering experienced.
Unfortunately, pastoral culture is not only made up of mature, balanced people who are totally dedicated to the Lord, the truth is that there are many who are in the ministry, but no longer have pastoral zeal or daily devotion to the Lord. In this way, the trap of victimization does not help in these moments of confusion due to the latest events, so the best thing the pious servant can face these four complete is to seek the grace of the merciful Lord to live under the motto of the Psalmist’s prayer that said:?armies; Aren’t those who seek you after me, God of Israel, ashamed?(Exit 69. 9).
4. La reality of sin should not be easily discarded. Fearing an insensitive response to the suicide of the Saints, the possibility that suffering, despair and death may be rooted in the sin of suicide is not always considered. However, there are some cases, in which shepherds who committed suicide were committed to a sinful procedure and the fear or anguish of being discovered resulted in their death. Sin can be expressed in the form of irregular relationship, immoral and impure procedure, unbridled compulsion, or otherwise. In these cases, suicide can be an interesting proposal of escape or self-explosion, that is, since the sinner-sick can no longer bear the consequences of sin, he can try to end his existence.
It needs to be clarified that not all suicide cases resulted from the sin of suicide. As has already been said here, suicide is an extremely complex case. However, the truth that sometimes sin, guilt and shame can be the dominant factor in such cases cannot be ruled out. Perhaps this point is clearer if we consider that five of the most common suicidal events in the Bible are associated with the sinful suicide procedure: Abimelec (Thu 9:35), Saul (1Sm 31. 4), Ahitofel (2Sm 17:23). ), Zimri (1R 16. 18) and Judas (Mt 27. 5). Therefore, it is an element that cannot be easily discarded.
5. Psychic factors should be taken into account. However regrettable, there are people in pastoral care who have a profound need for accompaniment and psychological treatment, not everyone had the opportunity to receive care before arriving at the department and some symptoms were not so evident until the person grew up and/or was under ministerial pressure. To make matters worse, some medications to treat other physical ailments can interfere with the mental health of their users, so emotional imbalance, mental illness, and other agents that interfere with a person’s mental balance should also be analyzed. attempted suicide or use.
As it is common for many people to be ordained to pastoral ministry without adequate prior mental evaluation, the fact that there are many patients among those who preach healing should not surprise. In such cases, the best way to care for a sibling with a mental illness is to take him away from the pastorate, refer him to treatment, and manifest a fraternal zeal to care for his family members while the worker receives care.
Due to the complex nature of the topic, other factors could certainly be listed above, but as stated at the beginning, the topics mentioned cover only the basic category of those who should be considered when a pastor commits suicide.
Finally, a pastoral word to the companions of the ministry. Death by suicide never ends suffering. He only transfers the unbearable pain of a person to his family, friends and, in the case of pastors, to his congregation. Moreover, it should be noted that when God’s servants in the past experienced despair, frustration, and abhorrence of reality, they did not take the right to end their lives, but prayed to God to take them away (cf. Nm 11. 15, Ex 32. 32, 1 D 19. 4, Job 6. 8-9 and Jn 4. 3). Only the author of life has the right to end the donation he has made. In addition, it is worth remembering that there is always grace and mercy to help those who ascend to the throne of God (cf. Heb. 4:16). It is therefore necessary that, despite the most terrible pain, we learn to seek help and expose our situation in the search for solution and help. Suicide is not the answer!
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[1] RAMOS, Edith. Anatomy of Suicide. Brazilian Architect of Applied Psychology 26: 2 (April / June 1974): p. 79-98.
[2] WARREN, Kay. Who shepherds the shepherd? Even ministers suffer suicidal thoughts. The Washington Post, April 17, 2017.
[3] LUXTON, David D. ; JUNE, Jennifer D. et FAIRALL, Jonathan M. Social Media and Suicide: A Public Health Perspective, American Journal of Public Health (May 2012). Available at: https://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC3477910/ Retrieved November 12, 2017.