All six bishops felt burned out in their jobs. Their critics are frequent and vocal. Coping with conflicts in congregations or problems with pastoral conduct sap their energy. Evening and weekend meetings are endless.
Family time suffers.
One bishop said he realized it was time to leave when a friend asked him why his voice lit up when he talked about congregations but not when he talked about synod matters. When I read the resignation letter of another bishop, I told him it was obvious that his real reason for stepping down is that he'd had it. One of the largest shifts in our common life is that absolutes are gone. Truth and authority now tend to be defined by individuals on their own terms. The result is not so much anarchy as ambiguity and ambivalence.