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CHECK OUT THESE RESOURCES
👀 Kevin’s Article on Pastor Burnout - Click HERE
👀 “Jesus Might Not Hire Your Pastor” - Click HERE
👀 Barna Research on Why Pastors are Quitting - Click HERE
👀 Learn more about Ephesians 4:11 APEST HERE
Kevin Beasley - Co-host, Kingdom Effect Podcast & Discipleship Network Leader
🌐 Website: kevinebeasley.com
Glenn “Buckshot” Buckley - Co-host & Former Law Enforcement (Sex Trafficking)
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/rambler113.6
Danny Woods - Field Shepherd, Standing Stone Ministry
🌐 Website: standingstoneministry.org
Kingdom Effect Podcast Community
👥 Facebook Group: Click HERE
Show Notes
Your pastor is on the field 24/7 in brutal conditions, and they can’t tap out. They’re counseling marriages, visiting hospitals, managing staff crises, and fielding calls at all hours. But here’s the question nobody’s asking:
When the shepherd is wounded, who binds up their wounds?
When the one everyone turns to for help is drowning, who throws the lifeline?
In this raw and timely episode of The Kingdom Effect podcast, hosts Kevin Beasley and Glenn “Buckshot” Buckley sit down with Danny Woods, a Field Shepherd with Standing Stone Ministry, for a conversation that will forever change how you see, and support—the spiritual leaders in your life.
🎯 What You’ll Discover:
The Brutal Reality of Ministry Life
Why 40% of pastors in America are actively looking for a way out of ministry
The “cluster soccer ball” effect, when you’re stuck in 100-degree conditions with no substitutions
How the phone never stops ringing: hospital visits, divorces, suspensions, and staff drama
Why ministry leaders can’t share their struggles with the very people they serve
The Dangerous Isolation
The three groups pastors can’t be honest with:
their board (who signs their paycheck)
their congregation (who expects perfection)
sometimes even their spouse (to protect them from trauma)
How maintaining a “plastic exterior” is slowly killing the church
Why “what you see from the pulpit isn’t always what’s happening, really”
Standing Stone’s Solution: Shepherding the Shepherds
The two-pronged approach: retreat shepherds and field shepherds
How 300+ field shepherds across America are meeting pastors in their context
Why every Standing Stone shepherd is required to be in their own support cohorts
The free (but not costless) model that removes financial barriers
The Missing Team Model
🌍 How America sent apostles overseas, subcontracted evangelists to arenas, and left shepherds to carry the entire weight alone
🎸 Why the “rock star pastor” model is crumbling before our eyes
🎯 The power of APEST teams (Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds, Teachers) working together
❤️🔥 How Jesus was hardest on His inner circle: Peter, James, and John
💡 Game-Changing Insights:
“These are just fellow sheep, really, who are called to shepherd, but they still have their own lives and they’re susceptible to the same kind of struggles.” - Danny Woods
“We’ve become very far away from allowing scripture to define what it means to be a part of that body of Christ.”
The Civil War bonfire analogy: Soldiers on the front lines needed someone back at camp, cooks, medics, ammunition suppliers, to survive another day of battle. Without the bonfire, there’s no healing, no refueling, no readiness for tomorrow’s fight.
“We are saved as individuals, yes, but we’re saved into the body.”
🚨 Warning Signs Your Pastor Needs Support:
Increasing cynicism or discouragement in their tone
Withdrawal from relationships outside the church
Physical exhaustion that never seems to lift
Defensiveness when asked “How are you really doing?”
Family struggles that are being sacrificed for ministry demands
The inability to “turn off” ministry mode, even in social settings
🔥 The Breakthrough Moment:
“I had one of the darkest nights of the soul that I had experienced in over 10 years—right before Standing Stone training. And it was everything to take my eyes off of who we are in the sight of God, our true identity as a child of God resting in His love and His grace.”
This isn’t about pity for pastors. It’s about recognizing that the body of Christ is only as strong as its weakest member, and right now, those carrying the heaviest loads are breaking under the weight.
📚 Resources Mentioned:
Standing Stone Ministry:
standingstoneministry.org (submit a request to connect with a shepherd)Kevin Beasley’s Substack: kevinebeasley.com
1 Corinthians 12 - The Body of Christ
Ephesians 4:11 - The five-fold ministry gifts
John 17 - Jesus’ prayer for unity
What You Can Do Today:
For Ministry Leaders:
Visit standingstoneministry.org and request to connect with a field shepherd
Stop suffering in silence, you weren’t meant to carry this alone
Build your own APES team of trusted advisors outside your organizational structure
For Church Members:
Write a thank-you card to your pastor this week, be specific about how they’ve impacted you
Invite your ministry leaders to dinner and DON’T talk about church
Pray intentionally for your pastor’s marriage, family, and mental health
Give them permission to be a normal human being
Consider supporting Standing Stone Ministry financially
For Everyone: Stop entering church as a consumer. Be intentional about your ministry staff. Don’t assume they’re broken, but don’t assume they’re not. Love them like you would anyone else, because they are.
“We want to make sure they don’t retreat into isolation again. When one portion of the body suffers, we all suffer. And the body is gonna suffer.” - Danny Woods
The Uncomfortable Truth: Your pastor preaches about rest but hasn’t taken a real vacation in years. They counsel others through depression while battling their own dark nights of the soul. They tell you God loves you unconditionally while drowning in the condemning narrative that they’re not enough.
It’s time to light the bonfire. It’s time to shepherd the shepherds.
Note: This episode contains honest discussions about pastoral burnout, mental health struggles in ministry, and the realities of spiritual leadership. If you’re a ministry leader struggling, please reach out to Standing Stone Ministry or find a trusted advisor today.
Kingdom Effect Podcast - Where we champion those who’ve said YES to God’s calling. Available on all major podcast platforms and Substack.
