Key Points:
- Clergy struggling with addiction often face isolation, silence and lack of institutional support.
- Wesleyan theology affirms sanctification as a lifelong journey, not a demand for perfection.
- Harm reduction and trauma-informed care offer faithful models for supporting clergy in recovery.
Photo courtesy of the author.
Commentaries
We often speak of pastoral leaders “shepherding” the church. The shepherd represents steadiness, responsibility and spiritual care. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost and lays down his life for the flock (John 10:11; Luke 15:4-7).
In this image, the shepherd leads — the sheep are the ones who wander. Yet Isaiah 53:6 reminds us, “All we like sheep have gone astray.” What happens when the shepherd, too, finds themselves astray — not from God, but from the rigid moral expectations projected onto their role?
This article seeks to name the dissonance that arises when a pastor — often viewed as the embodiment of theological and moral certainty — enters a season of struggle.
Addiction, especially in clergy, is not merely a personal crisis. It is shaped by stigma, silence and the uniquely moralized nature of ministry. This piece invites reflection on how we respond to those we expect to be unshakable — and what grace looks like when the shepherd is the one in need of care.
Substance use disorders are not confined to any one community or profession — including clergy. Yet within many churches, addiction remains unspoken, especially when it affects those behind the pulpit.
Clergy are often expected to embody moral clarity, spiritual maturity and personal integrity. These high expectations, while rooted in the sacred responsibilities of ministry, can become barriers to healing when pastors themselves are in crisis. In particular, clergy struggling with addiction frequently find few safe or confidential pathways to seek support.
The United Methodist Church proclaims a theology of grace, healing and sanctification. These affirmations are echoed in the Book of Resolutions and in our shared liturgical life. However, institutional practices sometimes tell a different story. The cultural legacy of the Temperance Movement and the church’s longstanding emphasis on moral uprightness continue to shape attitudes about addiction, particularly for those in leadership.
Many clergy fear that acknowledging their struggles could result in reassignment or removal from ministry. The itinerancy system — though designed to serve the connection — can heighten these fears by introducing ambiguity into how such disclosures will be handled. With few formal support structures available, pastors often bear these burdens alone.
One such support once existed. The Special Program on Substance Abuse and Related Violence was created to equip churches to respond to substance use with education, prevention and compassion. However, SPSARV has since become inactive. Without sustained infrastructure or visible denominational initiatives, clergy recovery remains under-resourced.
This institutional silence creates what some theologians describe as spiritual harm — the gap between a proclaimed theology of grace and its embodiment in practice. Moral injury — a distinct type of emotional and spiritual harm — is deepened when pastors experience a breakdown in trust at three levels: within themselves, with their institutions and with their communities. I describe this as trifold betrayal: the internal shame they carry, the institutional abandonment they may encounter and the perceived betrayal experienced by their congregants.
Pastors are not exempt from the stress, grief or isolation that increase the risk of substance use. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, chronic stress and lack of support systems are key risk factors. As Andrea Clements writes in “Human Connection as a Treatment for Addiction” (2023), recovery requires relational vulnerability — something pastors are rarely granted.
The shepherd who strays reveals how conditional our grace can be. Luke 15 reminds us that God searches for the lost sheep. Can that same compassion extend to the shepherd? What healing becomes possible when grace — not perfection — is the foundation of our response?
Wesleyan theology, however, offers a hopeful corrective. In The Scripture Way of Salvation, John Wesley writes that sanctification is an ongoing journey toward holiness, not an expectation of moral flawlessness. Christians “wait for entire sanctification ... yet this process does not exempt anyone from ‘ignorance or mistake, or infirmities, or temptations.’” Grace is not earned through perfection but received through relationship with a loving God.
Scripture echoes this grace-filled invitation. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul recounts Christ’s words: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” James 5:16 calls the community to confess and pray with one another “so that you may be healed.” These passages shift the focus from performance to mutual care. Healing is not a solitary task — it is a communal act rooted in trust and vulnerability.
Frameworks such as harm reduction reflect this theological orientation. In contrast to punitive or abstinence-only models, harm reduction meets people where they are. It prioritizes dignity, safety and ongoing support — core values that resonate deeply with the theology of grace.
Harm reduction disrupts narratives that equate addiction with sin and recovery with moral success. Instead, it offers a way to embody the love and mercy that churches so often proclaim.
Other faith-based recovery models offer useful guidance. Guest House, a Catholic residential program for clergy with substance use disorders, combines accountability with care. Physician Health Programs in the medical field offer similar models that balance confidentiality, treatment and vocational restoration. In The United Methodist Church, communities like FREE Spiritual Community in Colorado demonstrate that authenticity in leadership can foster deep trust and transformation.
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For The United Methodist Church to fully live its theology, action is needed at every level. Bishops and district superintendents can lead by fostering non-punitive policies that prioritize recovery. Boards of ordained ministry can implement confidential support systems. Lay leaders can participate in theological education that lifts up grace over perfectionism. Above all, clergy must be encouraged to embrace their full humanity — not in spite of their calling, but as a faithful expression of it.
Creating space for clergy wellness is not peripheral to our mission. It is central to it. Churches that care for their leaders bear witness to the gospel not only in word, but in practice.
When the shepherd strays, the question is not whether we respond. The question is whether we will respond with grace.
Ware is a clinical research professional, certified candidate for elder in the Mountain Sky Conference, and a Master of Divinity student and trustee representative at Iliff School of Theology.
News media contact: Julie Dwyer at [email protected]. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.
