Compassion Fatigue
by Rev. Mark E. Tidsworth, Founder and Team Leader
Recently, when making the transition to assisted living, my father passed down his old wooden filing cabinet to me. I’m grateful, partly because it’s such a nice piece of furniture, replacing my clunky metal cabinet. More though, the connection with him brings a good feel to my study.
While transferring files and dumping others, I ran across these three folders in the picture above. Early in my ministry with clergy and church staff, while still working as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, these resources were extremely helpful. I’m remembering the first Compassion Fatigue workshop we did at the Center for Clergy & Congregations with Rev. Bill George as presenter. Compassion Fatigue was a relatively new name for what many of us experienced and observed in clergy and church staff at that time (2000-2004). We were treating people for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, yet what we observed in clergy and church staff didn’t meet the diagnostic criteria (usually), presenting as something similar, and different. When the phrase “Compassion Fatigue” came along, light bulbs switched on. Here’s a brief description:
“In a world where empathy and caregiving are vital, compassion fatigue has quietly become one of the most common yet least discussed emotional challenges. People who dedicate their lives to helping others—nurses, therapists, doctors, teachers, first responders, and caregivers—often find themselves drained not only physically but emotionally. This exhaustion is known as compassion fatigue, a form of emotional weariness that comes from caring deeply and constantly for those in distress.” —Psychiatry Magazine, November 6, 2025, https://psychiatrymagazine.com/what-is-compassion-fatigue-and-how-to-treat-it/.
Post-Secondary Trauma… Compassion Fatigue is one outcome when caring for and engaging with those who have been traumatized. We recognized this explained the deep fatigue we observed in clergy and church staff; people on the front lines of caring for we humans.
Even more, have you noticed the frequency of the phrase “Moral Injury” in our common life? This is another kind of trauma and emotional damage resulting from engaging the extreme brokenness in our world. Our current cultural context, including the extreme polarization and the social approval of contempt for neighbors, is bringing the deep hurt of moral injury to caregivers, including the highly public work of ministers.
While describing these experiences, a word of clarification…
Compassion Fatigue and Moral Injury are not exhaustion. Though they include deep exhaustion, a Sunday off, a week’s vacation, or other typical Sabbath experiences don’t remedy these conditions. Rest, as just described, is the remedy for the common experiences of tiredness we each experience when engaged with the world. Compassion Fatigue and Moral Injury require more intentional and multi-faceted approaches to healing and recovery (beyond the scope of this article).
So, clergy, church staff, and those who care about them… I’m hopeful this article provides insight for you. I’m hopeful that many of you are tired, simply tired, without the symptoms of Compassion Fatigue or Moral Injury. Being tired during and after Holy Week is simply baked into the calling. That in itself is not worrisome or concerning. Rest is the remedy.
For others, perhaps this article confirms what you know… there’s something more going on in you. When we find ourselves in that place, there are people who can help us navigate the journey to healing and recovery. If a conversation would help, reach out. We can listen and point to potential next steps in your journey.
As we travel along, may the deep peace of Christ seep into our bones, enlivening and restoring. Peace to you clergy, church staff persons, and all who care for God’s Church.