Emergencies accumulate. Michael Chiles, founder of Abide Leader Care, said most pastors don’t talk about the pressures of the job and don’t seek help “until they get to a place where everything is crumbling.” Early red flags include overwhelming stress, feelings of isolation, and marriage problems. Ron and Rodetta Cook are former church planters who founded the practice in 2004 after “multiple painful situations causing hurts so deep” that they considered quitting. Ron Cook said he realized through his own experience the acute need for pastors to be able to be vulnerable. He encourages churches to send their ministers to counseling for preventative care instead of waiting until their mental health is bad. Too many churches, he said, ignore all the warning signs until their pastors leave the churches or leave ministry altogether. Mary Hulst, Calvin University chaplain, tries to teach future ministers to work on their mental health and spiritual well-being before there is a problem.