Sources of stress and its management strategies among ministers of the gospel in Cape Coast Metropolis

Abstract

Stress can be destructive if not well managed. In addition to its effect on the health of the individual, it also has a direct bearing on the individual’s performance at work and productivity. The study was therefore aimed at finding the sources of stress and management strategies among ministers of the gospel in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana. A descriptive research design was used for this study. The population for this study was 500 pastors serving in the Orthodox, Pentecostal and Charismatic churches in the Cape Coast Metropolis in the Central Region of Ghana. A total of 217 ministers of the gospel were sampled for the study. Both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (t-test and ANOVA) were used to analyze the data. The study found that the most predominant source of stress among ministers of the gospel was “Inadequate financial support from the congregation”. The study also revealed that the leading way ministers of the gospel managed stress 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. More seminars, conferences, workshops and symposia should be organized by church governing councils, to expose ministers of the gospel to the sources of their stress and also to sharpen their skills for stress management.