The Amazing Leaders Podcast

Soul Care for Pastors: Avoiding Burnout, Finding Safe Confession, and Staying Healthy in Ministry Todd Lane and Tom Lane introduce the Amazing Leaders Podcast and interview longtime pastor and coach Carl Tote of Trinity Church in Lubbock, who took leadership after a traumatic season including a split and earlier losses. They discuss pastors’ mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health, emphasizing “soul care” over “soul cure,” and that feelings are information rather than facts. Carl stresses addressing roots, not just symptoms, and removing stigma around counseling, therapy, and coaching. They highlight the need for an “executive board” of trusted, mature, confidential mentors outside one’s immediate church, since leaders often lack safe places to confess and gain healing. The conversation covers burnout warning signs, relationship over ritual in spiritual disciplines, accountability, and practical rhythms—exercise, scheduling priorities, marriage time, and health checkups—to sustain long-term ministry.

In this episode, Jeff Jenkins shares the untold story behind the rapid growth and sudden collapse of his church. After planting, the church expanded quickly. But beneath the surface, a culture driven by performance, insecurity, and striving began to take its toll. When COVID hit, everything unraveled. The church stopped meeting for a period. Staff dropped from over 20 to just two. And Jeff was forced to confront deeper questions about identity, leadership, and what it truly means to build a Spirit-led church. Jeff opens up about: The hidden drivers behind performance-based leadership How insecurity and past wounds shaped his decisions The breaking points that led to real change A prophetic moment that reframed his entire approach to ministry And how he now leads through prayer, collaboration, and presence over pressure This conversation is an honest look at failure, formation, and the shift from building something impressive… to building something sustainable.