It happens little by little. . . Even in the context of a very faithful ministry, a pastor may be at risk of a gradual-but ultimately debilitating-downfall.Al Martin speaks from years of experience as he guides pastors to identify warning signs of dangerous paths:* Backsliding-a spiritual decline manifested first in the prayer closet.* Burnout-erosion of one's mental, emotional, psychological, and physical resiliency and buoyancy.* Washout-the loss of credibility among the people.

Albert N. Martin served as pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey, for more than forty years and he taught Pastoral Theology in the Trinity Ministerial Academy for twenty years.