Unemployment affects the soul as well as the pocketbook. Losing a job can lead to depression, family conflict and a sense of God’s abandonment.
By Mary Jacobs Staff Writer
When he lost his job a year ago, Stephen Adams says he felt a like a leper.
“People withdrew from me,” he said. “It was as if they didn’t want to catch what I had.”
Isolation is one of many “soul wounds” that people suffer when they lose a job, says Mr. Adams, author of Back to Work! Create New Opportunities in the Wake of Job Loss (Moody Publishers, 2009).
“It’s hard enough in normal times to remember that we are created in the image of God,” Mr. Adams said. “It’s much tougher after a blow like unemployment.”
As unemployment levels remain high—at 10.2 percent in October, the highest since April 1983—many United Methodist churches are reaching out with practical help, like job networking groups or food pantries.
But pastors in areas experiencing long-term unemployment say that jobless parishioners need spiritual and emotional ministry, too. Job losses can create or escalate a host of problems: financial worries, marital discord, depression and a sense of despair—as if God has abandoned them.
“It’s more than a job that’s lost,” said the Rev. Mark Fenstermacher, senior pastor of Trinity UMC in Elkhart, Ind. “A job is an important part of a person’s identity. It’s not just a financial issue; it’s an issue of self-worth.”
In Dr. Fenstermacher’s community, suicide rates are rising, and many say it’s linked to the lingering recession. Twenty-two people killed themselves in Elkhart County so far in 2009, outpacing the annual average of 16.
“We have a real problem,” coroner John White told MSNBC in a recent news report. In several cases, those who killed themselves “left notes specifically stating that the reason they did this was because of the economy.”
So how can church members comfort and encourage those who are dealing with job losses?
The most important step is to reach out—even if you don’t know what to say.
“When you lose your job, often what you hear most is stunning silence,” said the Rev. Allen Hunt, a United Methodist pastor and host of a radio talk show in Alpharetta, Ga. “Be a friend. Step up.”
Understand that a person who has lost a job, especially a long-term position, may be grieving, says Jeff Vander Vliet, a member of Trinity UMC who was unemployed for seven months last year.
“You’re in shock, you get angry,” he said. “It’s embarrassing and humiliating. You ask, ‘Why me?’ You overanalyze what you might have done differently.”
For those with friends who’ve lost jobs, Mr. Vander Vliet says, “Don’t wait for them to call you. Call and say, ‘If you ever want to talk, I’m here.’ If you have a personal experience with unemployment, let them know.”
The Rev. Glenn Wagner, pastor of Holt UMC near Lansing, Mich., says it’s important for churches to extend hospitality to families affected by unemployment: Make office space and equipment in the church—copiers, phones and computers—available for job seekers to use. Provide scholarships to pay for church outings that involve a fee. Anonymously “adopt” a family for the holidays, or send gift certificates for restaurants, grocery or department stores.
Churches can also provide space for a support group so that unemployed folks in the congregation and the community can encourage one another and know they’re not alone.
“People get depressed when they go out and keep getting rejections and no interviews,” said Dr. Wagner.
Dr. Fenstermacher warns pastoral caregivers that job loss has long-term as well as short-term effects.
“Most people are champions during the crisis,” he said. “But there’s something that wears and tears on the human soul over the long haul. My hunch is that’s a little bit of what we’re seeing with the suicides here.” He’s observed people who weather a series of big crises well, but when a small problem hit—a clogged drain or fender bender—and “all of sudden somebody sits down on the floor and begins to weep.”
For folks who have lost a job themselves, Mr. Vander Vliet advises, resist the temptation to withdraw from the church or from friends.
“You can’t shut yourself out,” he said. “When you do that you shut yourself out of the opportunities God has to show himself to you through other people.”
His advice: Sign up to volunteer for something to boost your sense of contribution. Exercise regularly to reduce stress. Make plans to get out of the house during the day, especially during times when you’re most likely to feel discouraged. Surround yourself with people who build you up. Nurture your prayer life.
He added that his family continued to tithe during his period of unemployment as a way of stemming their fears. “When you trust God, you don’t let fear win out,” he said.
“Seek God daily,” is Mr. Adams’ advice for the unemployed. “A job loss represents a huge question mark. ‘Why me, Lord? Why have you forgotten me?’ But question marks are great. They make us ask the questions we need to ask.”
A period of unemployment, he says, can provide space for re-examining one’s gifts and mission in life.
Pastors can also help by regularly offering prayers for those experiencing the realities of job transition and unemployment during worship. Dr. Wagner encourages people in crisis to turn to the book of Lamentations.
“Sometimes lamenting is all we can do,” he said. “The Bible is full of ordinary human beings who are in the midst of impossible circumstances but make the conscious choice to praise God anyway. They are sources of inspiration.”
Many pastors agree that ongoing unemployment will be an issue that will require continued pastoral care. Many people are finding themselves forced to scale down their salary expectations drastically; others are turning to self-employment when job hunts prove fruitless.
But Mr. Adams notes that the model of a job as a long-term source of income is only about 200 years old—a “blip” in the context of human history—and one that, for better or worse, may be on its way out.
“Having a traditional job can breed a kind of security-mindedness,” Mr. Adams contends. “For generations, Americans have assumed that such security is our birthright, and we do not handle it well when that security is withdrawn. But when it comes right down to it, is there any such thing as true earthly security?”
mjacobs@umr.org Three no-cost gifts for an unemployed friend
1. Lend your ear. Tell your friend you’re available to talk. Better yet, buy him or her a cup of coffee or a pizza, and be ready to listen. 2. Open your eyes to your own network. Listen for opportunities and keep your friend in mind. 3. Don’t feed your friend’s anger. Feed hope with prayer, encouragement and support. Help the person look to the future.
© 2009 DESIGN PICS PHOTO
Understand that a person who has lost a job, especially a long-term position, may be grieving, says Jeff Vander Vliet, a member of Trinity UMC who was unemployed for seven months last year. 
