Determining the Mental Health Climate of the Ministers of Christian Churches in Metro Vancouver After the Reopening of the Churches Since COVID-19 Closure

The burnout of ministers is real. Ministers are human, just like everyone else in the world. Too many people (such as church officials and leaders) underestimate the adverse effects of burned-out ministers in their churches. The pandemic had a huge impact on all the churches in Metro Vancouver, Canada. Ministers experienced exceptionally high stress and anxiety after the reopening of churches after the COVID-19 closure. Thus, the purpose of this DMIN action research project is to use the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), surveys, questionnaires, and interviews to research, qualify, and quantify the mental health climate of ministers in Metro Vancouver. The mental health climates of church ministers from Vancouver and Burnaby were determined by using the MBI, a demographic survey, a ministerial and lifestyle survey, a questionnaire, as well as significant interview questions. The results reveal that the church ministers of Vancouver and Burnaby both regularly experience low to moderate levels of burnout. Although ministers in Vancouver experienced a high level of burnout, ministers in Burnaby experienced only moderate burnout when analyzed, geographically. This research further proved that the predictors of burnout of ministers were influenced by (1) their country of origin, (2) their number of children and dependents, (3) their ministry locations, (4) their mental health history, and (5) whether they have a self-care plan or not. This research is important as it presents a crucial triage to determine the mental health climate of Christian ministers at any moment in Metro Vancouver.