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A setback, followed by a God-inspired
comeback
In February 2022, Michael Criner—lead pastor at Rock Hill Baptist Church in Brownsboro—experienced an episode of stress-induced Bell’s palsy that caused temporary paralysis on the left side of his face. In the months following the diagnosis, Criner sought the Lord as he recovered and re-evaluated his work and life habits. Through prayerful adjustments, he was able to make a full comeback to his church and shares his story with the Texan in hopes that it will be an encouragement to pastors.
What was happening in your life and ministry leading up to your health scare?
MC: Coming out of COVID, we had several guys on our staff who felt called to be a senior pastor … and others who were ready to retire. So as 2020 was winding down, we just had a number of what felt like gut punches—even though a lot of it was healthy—leaving us asking what we were going to do. At home, our family was in the midst of foster care as well, and it was difficult. It was all just overwhelming.
So in the midst of trying to search for a worship pastor, trying to figure out students, trying to figure out pastoral care, and then having all that was pent up during COVID, it accumulated into this snowball effect in my personal life. I was not getting the rest I needed physically because I wasn’t getting the rest I needed spiritually and I was unwilling to ask for help from our team. My body was shutting down and I wasn’t listening. All that just kind of piled up and my body broke.
I had had a string of about 10 days when I had a migraine in the back of my head behind my left ear. My wife, Abby, was coming back from being out of town and called to ask how things were going, and as I was responding to her, I started noticeably slurring my words. We went to the emergency room that night and they said I was having left facial paralysis—basically, Bell’s palsy. It wasn’t life-threatening, but my neurologist said it was stress-induced and told me, “If you don’t take this seriously, this could become permanent. Because your job includes public speaking, you may not be able to pronounce words the way you need to. So figure out what’s causing the stress, stop doing it, and adjust your schedule.”
“I was not getting the rest I needed physically because I wasn’t getting the rest I needed spiritually and I was unwilling to ask for help from our team.”
How did you communicate this to your church and what was the response?
MC: I met with all our leadership, and I was making pronouncements that I would be back in the pulpit the next week and that they didn’t need to worry, that I was going to tackle this. And a lay leader in our church said, “Man, I don’t care what you just said. … You’re not going to be back in this pulpit for at least five or six weeks until you get healthy. You’ve led us well through COVID and all the changes happening at the church, but it has had an impact on your body. If you don’t do what your neurologist told you to do, we won’t have a pastor.” So they gave me time away, and I’m so grateful for that.
What did you do during that time off?
MC: I slept. I changed my diet. I began to evaluate the pace I was going and realized it wasn’t sustainable. During that time I went on a little retreat to this place in Big Sandy, and while there, the Lord just really ministered to my heart. He was very clear to me that some things needed to change. In 1 Kings 19, you see that Elijah’s just burned out. He gets word that Jezebel is going to kill him, so he flees. The Lord doesn’t rebuke him for fleeing. The Lord tells him to eat and sleep.
How did the Lord specifically speak to your heart through this season?
MC: The Lord really taught me three things. The first was that I needed physical rest. I was not sleeping well, and it was evident, so I had to change my sleeping habits. Also, I was eating like a preteen boy at camp. It just wasn’t good, so I had to change my eating habits. I needed physical rest. I had to prioritize it.
The second was soul rest. My soul needed rest. I was dishing out of a bucket that had a hole in it. There was nothing going in. I needed not just a few minutes in the day, not just an hour in the day—I needed periodic, extended time when I was doing nothing other than just sitting with the Lord.
One of the other things was I had to realize my limits. At a smaller church, I could do more. But navigating a church of our size, I needed help. I think what this momentary setback did for me was it helped me hear the Lord say to me, “You can’t make it at this rate that you’re going. You’re limited, and you need to figure out what kind of help you need and go get it.”
So I began asking myself, “What are the things I need help with at the church? What are my deficiencies where I need somebody else to step in?” And since then, God’s been so kind. I’m so grateful that God has allowed me to walk through this season.
What are some of the practical adjustments you’ve made in your ministry and your personal life as a result of this season?
MC: I now have a new rhythm of doing my sermon prep at home. I’m able to get more done in four or five hours at home than I was in 12 hours at the office. The book Deep Work has been really influential to me in terms of blocking out time for the things in my life I need to get done. I now have a time block when I’m going to do counseling, when I’m going to do one-on-one meetings …. Having all of that planned out for me has really helped me know when I need to say “no” and when I need to say “yes.”
Personally, when I look back on those who modeled ministry for me, they all had an outlet, something they did for fun. Whether that was bow hunting, exercise, or whatever. I think for me, my ambition and desire to prove that I am a worthy minister called by God … made me think I couldn’t have fun. So since then, I’ve engaged in ultra-marathons and trail runs, and God has used that to get me to the health that I have today.
“I would encourage [pastors] to think about three buckets. The first bucket would center around how their physical life is going. ... The second bucket would center around their spiritual life. ... The third bucket would center around the need for help.”
If given the opportunity to speak to a group of pastors about your experience, what would you say to them?
MC: I would encourage them to think about three buckets. The first bucket would center around how their physical life is going. Are they exercising, even if it’s a 20-minutes walk?? Are they getting enough rest? What are they eating? When I eat like junk, I feel like junk. The second bucket would center around their spiritual life. Are they really spending time with the Lord, or are they just doing sermon preparation? Are they in a rush to get to the next thing, or are they genuinely pausing in large blocks of time in prayer and study of God’s Word? The third bucket would center around the need for help. Are they asking for help? Are they doing things they shouldn’t be doing that somebody else could do and maybe even do better? Most bottlenecks in my church are my fault. Ask for help!
We may not fully know for another 10 years the effect the last two years have had on pastors. I mean, just look around—a lot of pastors are worn out and weary. But please don’t forget what a privilege it is to pastor a church. Steward what you have been given now so that more of those who are far from God might become followers of Jesus.
