Mark Driscoll has posted a scary (though ultimately helpful) entry on pastor burnout. Titled Death by Ministry, here are some stats:

• 1,500 pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
• 50% of pastors' marriages will end in divorce.
• 80% of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
• 50% of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
• 80% of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
• 70% of pastors constantly fight depression.
• Almost 40% polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry.
• 70% said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons.

Click on the post to read some of the symptoms and solutions involved. It's a sober read.

I once believed - and occasionally still do (go figure this one out) - that pastoring is the ultimate vocation. On call almost 24/7, PR skills, teaching, counselling, role-modelling, "shepherding", praying, fasting, leading in missions and evangelism (not to mention everything else in the church) - talk about a job description out of this world. I'd think anybody wild enough to even apply has got to have SOMETHING no one else has.

And to remain a pastor when the best parts include: one moral failure and you're tagged for life, one uncalled for outburst and people frickin' hate you, a few theological ambiguities and you ain't a "pastor" but a "cult leader", fail to connect and get ready to be transferred, unknowingly piss some people off and prepare for cold handshakes after service, assert some liberal preferences contra tradition and hey-what-kind-of-pastor-are-you?!...wow...if you've hung in there despite all this crap, I salute you and am absolutely convinced you have a calling.

And the big cahuna: Doing all this for barely what a fresh grad may earn straight out from business school. (I know pastors' salaries vary accoring to country, denomination and church but, let's agree, one doesn't get in or stay at the job for the big bucks!). To all the pastors out there, hey, I call that love. Nothing even comes an iota near it. It's hard work, to say the least. It's heart work, to mention the minimum. 

You are blessed among men. And women.