Sources of stress and management strategies among ministers in the Cape Coast Metropolis: implications for counselling and gospel ministry

Abstract

Stress can be destructive if not well managed. It also has a direct bearing on the individual’s performance at work and productivity. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the sources of stress and management strategies that are common to ministers of the gospel. A descriptive research design was used for this study. A total of 250 ministers of the gospel serving in the Orthodox, Pentecostal and Charismatic churches in the Cape Coast Metropolis in the Central Region of Ghana were sampled for the study. Mean scores, standard deviations and rank order were used to analyse the data collected from the study. The most predominant source of stress among ministers of the gospel was “Inadequate financial support from the congregation.” The second was “Organising church programmes.” In the 3rd place was “Not getting support from church leaders.” The most important stress management strategy was “Delegating duties to others”. It was recommended that the general working conditions of ministers of the gospel should be improved by church governing councils. The implications of the findings for counselling and the church were also highlighted.