That is a significant admission from an experienced ministry leader. Dale told me how his counsellor, Bob Hamp in Dallas, Texas, had helped him recognise misunderstandings in his own life. He had received help, and he wanted other pastors to know there was value in doing the same.

Pastoral mentoring gives leaders room for honest relationships and sustained support. In our conversation, Dale connected that need with a wider willingness to seek counselling, learn from experienced leaders and stop treating rest as selfish.

I share his encouragement. We can love Jesus, believe in the church and still need somebody to help us work through what is happening within us.

Key Takeaways

• Dale has seen more pastors willing to reach out for help since the pandemic.
• He describes counselling as an important source of personal understanding.
• The Renewed Pastor’s focus is sustained help, with a team rather than Dale alone.
• Older leaders can model honesty by sharing problems they have worked through.
• Rest expresses trust in the Great Shepherd rather than personal indispensability.

Let Experienced Leaders Model Receiving Help

I asked Dale what change he had noticed in how pastors thought about their wellbeing and leadership. His answer focused on a willingness to ask for help.

pastors are actually reaching out for help.
— Dale Sellers

He spoke personally about Bob Hamp, his counsellor, and the difference their conversations had made. Dale had learned about himself and recognised misunderstandings in his walk with the Lord.

he’s helped me learn so much about me
— Dale Sellers

I also see a shift in Australia towards pastoral supervision, therapy, coaching and consultation. These were the forms of support we discussed, rather than interchangeable names for one service.

Experienced leaders can make seeking help less mysterious by being open about receiving it themselves. For pastors carrying the overlapping demands of ministry, that example can make an honest first conversation feel possible.

Look for Support That Continues Beyond a Quick Fix

Dale described leading 95 Network with a broad desire to help people. He also saw how difficult follow-through became when someone wanted a silver bullet.

The shift towards the Renewed Pastor involved a more focused aim: helping a thousand pastors become healthy over the next decade through a team and a year-long pathway.

I’ve raised up a great team to help me do that.
— Dale Sellers

That clarification matters. Dale wasn’t promising to mentor a thousand pastors personally. He had people around him to share the work.

I liked hearing the enjoyment in his voice when we spoke about working with a team. Sustained support also requires a structure that can carry it. My article about delegating authority and unloading the structural backpack explores that principle from the pastor’s side.

Bring Comparison and Shame Into the Light

Dale was candid about the shame he used to feel when he didn’t measure up. He compared himself with churches down the road and recognised how that shaped his prayers and thinking.

I was constantly comparing myself to people
— Dale Sellers

He described growing up in the residue of seeker and attraction movements. The comparison was part of his own story, rather than a judgement that every pastor in those settings experienced the same thing.

What he now hears is a longing for relationships in which pastors can be honest. He particularly spoke about older leaders who still love Jesus, still believe in the church and have worked through problems.

I value that combination of experience and openness. A mentor doesn’t need to maintain the appearance of a trouble-free life to be useful. In my own account of surviving the relentless toll of ministry, personal struggles sit alongside the things that helped me continue.

Offer the Honesty You Didn’t See Modelled

Dale remembers being taught not to show weakness or have problems. Conference speakers rarely spoke about their difficulties, leaving him with an unrealistic picture of godly leadership.

They just weren’t transparent.
— Dale Sellers

If the people on the platform seemed to have everything together, it was easy to conclude that maturity meant reaching the same apparently perfect place.

He sees younger pastors asking for something more honest. We discussed whether that represented a generational change, and Dale agreed strongly.

I thought about the founding pastor of our church, my father in the faith. Engaging a coach in a formal mentoring role wasn’t something I had seen modelled in that relationship. We had to develop an understanding of that support over time.

I can honour the people who shaped me while recognising that another generation may need to see me receive help openly.

See Rest as Partnership With the Great Shepherd

I asked Dale how he would reframe soul care for pastors who feel guilty taking time to rest, exercise or look after themselves.

He began with a familiar principle: acknowledging God as our source. He then challenged the belief that a church will fall apart if its pastor steps away.

the calling is 24/7, but you’re not on call 24/7.
— Dale Sellers

Dale spoke about being an undershepherd, partnering with the Great Shepherd. He pointed to Jesus withdrawing from the crowds and taking time to pray.

If Jesus needed time off, maybe I do.
— Dale Sellers

I hear a question of trust in that. Am I living as though God expects me to make everything happen? The story of Brian Webber’s eight-week break and his church’s shared leadership offers a separate, practical example of preparation that made time away possible.

Make Space for a Sustainable Ministry Life

One of my mentors, Pastor Phil Pringle, describes Sabbath as an act of faith: working for six days and trusting God for the needs of seven.

I see something countercultural in that rhythm. It resists the assumption that dedication requires constant availability, seven days a week.

Dale’s conversation connected rest with mentoring and honest relationships. The point wasn’t merely to gather more knowledge about health. It was to receive help and begin living differently.

My approach to a weekly pastoral schedule gives priorities a place in the diary. If a relationship or a period of rest matters, it needs room in the week.

I’d begin with an honest question: where do I need help that I keep trying to provide for myself? If you’d like to explore the ministry Dale described, visit The Renewed Pastor. Consider what kind of support fits your actual need, and make a first conversation possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why would an experienced pastor need mentoring?

I don’t equate years in ministry with having every personal issue resolved. Dale’s openness about counselling shows the value of continuing to learn about ourselves and receive help.

Is mentoring the same as counselling?

We spoke about several forms of support, including counselling, supervision and mentoring. I’d consider the need I’m facing and seek support appropriate to it, rather than treat those roles as identical.

What can an older mentor offer?

I value someone who still loves Jesus and the church, has faced difficulties and can speak honestly about working through them. Dale said pastors were longing for those relationships.

Is Dale personally mentoring a thousand pastors?

He explicitly clarified that he had raised a team to help pursue that ten-year goal. I wouldn’t describe it as a promise to do all that work himself.

Why does rest belong in a conversation about mentoring?

I see both as ways of acknowledging that I need support. Dale connected rest with trusting the Great Shepherd rather than believing everything depends on the pastor.

I want pastors to see receiving help as part of a sustainable ministry life. Honest mentoring relationships and protected rest give that conviction practical shape. Use the sustainability quiz below to reflect on the rhythms that need attention in your own week.