When the Shepherd Needs Help
Pastors are trained to care for others. Rarely are they taught how to be cared for.
Jim Parrish spent years as a layman, an insurance agent, a volunteer at the First Baptist Jacksonville Pastor’s Conference, watching something that no one seemed to be addressing. Conference after conference, pastors would find him at the door of the auditorium and just… talk. Not to their peers. Not to their denomination. To a safe stranger who had no stake in their reputation.
What he discovered is something every pastor instinctively knows, but few speak aloud: pastoral ministry is uniquely isolating. For most professionals, there are separate circles: work, home, friends, and church. For most pastors, those circles all collapse into one. There is no safe place to unload. There is no peer who won’t be affected by what you share.
Usually, by the time a guy gets to me, he’s desperate. He’s got either sin in his life, or someone has sinned against him, and he’s just hanging on. ”— Jim Parrish, Shepherd’s Help
So Jim Parrish did something about it. He and his wife, Sandra, launched Shepherd’s Help, a free, biblically grounded counseling ministry for pastors and their wives. No charge. No denominational strings. Just someone to call.
In this episode of Kingdom Over Turf, Chris Reinolds sits down with Jim for a candid, unhurried conversation about:
Why pride and territorial instinct keep pastors from asking for help
What biblical counseling actually is and how it differs from clinical psychology
The “idols of the heart” framework Jim uses to help pastors see what’s driving their pain
How discipleship, when done well, can break the cycle of pastoral isolation
The story of a youth pastor who was fired for something he didn’t do, and how that became the open door to the ministry he was called to
What Jim would say to the pastor reading this, who is quietly struggling right now
This isn’t a polished how-to episode. It’s two men who care deeply about pastors having the kind of honest conversation that too rarely happens in public.
If you’re a pastor, this one is for you. If you love a pastor, share it with them.
Need help? Shepherd’s Help is free for pastors and their wives. Visit shepherdshelp.org and click “Get Help Now” to fill out a confidential contact form.
Jim will respond personally.