The third rail of a pastor’s life and ministry is his physical health. Very few like to talk about the growing girth of pastors and the impact it has on their ministries. After all, in my denomination our unofficial bird is the fried chicken.
The health of our nation is a continually growing crisis (no pun intended). Pastoral leadership is no exception. A 2001 Pulpit and Pew study discovered that 76 percent of clergy were overweight or obese compared to 61 percent of the general population.[1] The Food Research and Action Center identified that in 2014 that 68.5 percent of adults in the United States are obese or overweight.[2] One can only imagine that the percentage of overweight and obese pastors has not changed much since the 2001 Pulpit and Pew study.
What pastors in particular may not realize though is the direct correlation between their physical health and their spiritual health, as well as the impact they have on the church they have been called to serve. Pastors, we should be leading the way in caring for our physical health as examples to the flocks we have been called to serve. Not leading the pack toward obesity.
If you’re still reading this, I would like to share with you Ryan Palmer’s story on his recent strides toward a healthier life, and in particular how his new-found health focus relates to his pastoral ministry. Palmer has been a friend for over 20 years and has been the pastor of South Haven Baptist Church in Springfield, Mo., since 2009.
Pastor Palmer began a total lifestyle change on December 15, 2014. His motivations were several. First, he turned 40 in the summer of 2014. That milestone and family history brought forth a sense of reality. He shares, “I had a grandfather who died at 54 from a heart attack. I wanted to be around longer for my family.”
Another motivation was a fellow pastor in his area who publicly shared his weight loss success on Facebook. Through this co-laborer, Palmer was put in touch with the local trainer that coached this fellow pastor.
Palmer’s lifestyle changes included not only seeking out a trainer but also getting more sleep. He transitioned from the five and half hours of sleep he was getting to eight full hours of rest. To meet his goal of engaging in a cardio workout six days a week, he imposes the discipline of going to bed earlier to get up earlier and workout in before his wife and children are awake. As for his diet, he has limited his high protein, low carb diet to 2,000 calories a day, eating smaller portions at least five times throughout the day.
