In this episode of Living on Incline, John Eklund sits down with Pastor Daryl Clark for a raw conversation about church leadership, burnout, recovery, mental health, race, culture, and what it really means for the church to be the church. Daryl opens up about 25 years of ministry, the pressure pastors carry, why preaching is only a small part of the job, and how loving people has to matter more than image, ego, or performance.


TIMESTAMPS
[00:00:00] Intro and Daryl Clark’s 25 years of pastoral ministry
[00:01:10] Leadership development, discipleship, and Dallas Theological Seminary
[00:02:36] Why seminary often misses counseling and mental health
[00:04:10] "Preaching is the smallest part of what I do"
[00:04:35] Building teams, delegation, and not being intimidated by gifted people
[00:06:42] Pressure, insecurity, and the mental health side of pastoral leadership
[00:07:04] Why pastors need Sabbath and sabbaticals
[00:08:26] Daryl’s mission trip to India and being detained
[00:10:59] The state of the church in America right now
[00:11:57] Why politics and nationalism are "killing our witness"
[00:14:17] Eric Mason clip and the conversation around the black church
[00:16:09] "I think he's speaking a language that I'm not allowed to express"
[00:17:14] Gentrification, church culture, and reaching the actual community
[00:19:06] Lead pastor vs senior pastor and changing authoritarian church culture
[00:21:23] "Just preach the gospel" and the conversation around social justice
[00:24:19] George Floyd, silence from the church, and what the gospel should produce
[00:26:36] Why the church expects government to do what the church should be doing
[00:28:14] Mental health, addiction, and the church’s lack of preparation
[00:28:45] "Our inaction weakens our witness"
[00:29:15] Acts, language, and why the Holy Spirit should make the church attractive
[00:30:45] Daryl’s healing journey, anxiety, vulnerability, and depression
[00:31:39] Letting go of performance mode
[00:33:25] Toxic church environments and unresolved trauma
[00:35:34] "You need some therapy to get over this"
[00:36:14] Why therapy is still stigmatized in black church culture
[00:37:50] "You can't do this by yourself"
[00:38:17] Why recovery programs fail if pastors have not done recovery work
[00:39:11] Recovery Alive, church resistance, and leading two churches at once
[00:40:46] The 12 steps sermon series and backlash from church members
[00:42:11] Reaching the unwed mother, the ex-con, and the overlooked
[00:43:07] "All are welcome at the table"
[00:44:03] 1 Corinthians, the Lord’s body, and who belongs at the table
[00:45:12] Why pastors must become vulnerable so others can heal
[00:46:06] Forgiveness, grace, and Daryl’s personal inventory
[00:47:22] Fatherhood, sons, and breaking unhealthy cycles
[00:50:56] The impact of Daryl’s father and how culture changes over time
[00:52:20] "I don't wanna do this anymore" and the truth about pastoral burnout
[00:53:40] Sabbatical, growth, and why Daryl is still pushing forward
[00:54:46] Doctoral work at Gordon Conwell and final encouragement
[00:55:28] Outro


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