"I Feel Burdened By My Church Because Of All My Volunteer Work But Can’t Speak Out": Expert Advises

"I Feel Burdened By My Church Because Of All My Volunteer Work But Can’t Speak Out": Expert Advises

  • A man is getting stressed by the demand placed on him by his church and needs advice
  • This man fears he will suffer a breakdown if he does not strike a healthy balance between church and the rest of his life
  • Daniel Fenyi, a counsellor, shared his thoughts on the things to consider when balancing work and church commitments
I am drowning in the responsibilities I have at church. I volunteer in various forms of technical support and have tried to serve God with my talents with an open heart. But in recent times, it has become too much of a burden. I have been struggling to balance my personal and work life with my volunteer work at church, and fear I am going to have a massive breakdown soon. But I don’t want to let down my faith and the people at church.

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Church burdens man in Ghana
Man worried by his role in church. Source: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

Counsellor shares advice on how to navigate situation

Daniel Fenyi is a counsellor and educationist. He is a member of the Ghana National Association of Certified Counsellors. He is also an employment advocate with over nine years of experience and insight into dealing with employment challenges.

Insist on a schedule for church

The demands of the church must have a regular structure. Your commitments should not be random. If you can't say no to the church, you should talk to the church to make the duties more structured and predictable so you can plan your life around it. You can stick to that structure if you know every Sunday or Wednesday evening is for church.

Choose between work and church

This could affect your job security. You should admit that work should take precedence over your church commitments. You should decide which is your priority and commit your energies there. If it is the work that puts food on the table and pays bills, you cannot sacrifice that for church. It is sometimes unrealistic to treat church commitments as a priority.

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If you decide church is more important, you can look for a job that is more flexible and would allow you to fulfil your work commitments without any stress.

Be open with your church leaders

Come clean about your challenges to your pastor. Some churches don’t know the demands of your job. But they view you as available and reliable but may not appreciate the extreme sacrifices you are making. You could also discuss training someone to take up your role.

Business consultant advises graduate in need

In a previous story, YEN.com.gh outlined that Kwesi Nkrumah, a business consultant, discussed ideas to turn into a business with GH¢10,000.

"With GH¢10,000, you can go into farming. You can aggregate from experienced farmers or start farming yourself," he noted to a KNUST graduate.

Disclaimer: The advice given in this article is general and is not intended to influence readers' decisions. They should seek their own professional advice that takes into consideration their circumstances before making any decisions.

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Email ask.an.expert@yen.com.gh with any issue you may need advice on.

Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Delali Adogla-Bessa avatar

Delali Adogla-Bessa (Current Affairs Editor) Delali Adogla-Bessa is a Current Affairs Editor with YEN.com.gh. Delali previously worked as a freelance journalist in Ghana and has over seven years of experience in media, primarily with Citi FM, Equal Times, Ubuntu Times. Delali also volunteers with the Ghana Institute of Language Literacy and Bible Translation, where he documents efforts to preserve local languages. He graduated from the University of Ghana in 2014 with a BA in Information Studies. Email: delali.adogla-bessa@yen.com.gh.