Pastoral ministry is deeply rewarding — but it can also be deeply lonely.

In this episode of Deep Roots, Jonny Reid sits down with Andrew Nicholls, Director of Pastoral Care at Oak Hill College, to explore what it really takes to sustain ministry over the long haul.

Andrew shares his journey from medicine to pastoral ministry, the lessons he learned about truly knowing people (not just preaching to them), and insights from a five-month study leave in South Africa, Kenya, the United States, and Australia.

They discuss:

Why pastors must understand people — not just theology

The difference between warning the idle, encouraging the disheartened, and helping the weak

The loneliness many ministers experience

The growing model of pastoral supervision in Sydney

How churches might better sustain their leaders

A new small group resource designed to deepen Christian conversations

If you’re in ministry — or care about those who are — this episode offers wisdom, honesty, and hope.

👤 ABOUT ANDREW NICHOLLS Andrew Nicholls serves as Director of Pastoral Care at Oak Hill College. Before theological training, Andrew worked as a doctor for ten years before moving into pastoral ministry in South West London. He later trained in biblical counselling with the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF) in Philadelphia.

He co-authored: Real Change (with Helen Thorne) — a small group resource on spiritual growth

🔗 Oak Hill College: https://www.oakhill.ac.uk

🔗 CCEF: https://www.ccef.org

📌 SHOW NOTES In This Episode:

From medicine to ministry: Andrew’s story

Why preaching isn’t enough without knowing your people

Lessons from South Africa on cross-cultural pastoral conversations

Learning from CCEF in Philadelphia

What Sydney’s model of pastoral supervision can teach the UK church

Building resilience in ministry Why “one another” ministry matters

A new small group course on deepening Christian conversations

0:00 Introduction

1:12 From Medicine to Ministry

3:48 Why Pastors Must Understand People (Not Just Preach Well)

5:03 Warn the Idle, Encourage the Disheartened, Help the Weak

6:06 Why Misdiagnosing People Makes Things Worse

8:15 Learning from South Africa: Cross-Cultural Pastoral Conversations

12:40 Training with CCEF in Philadelphia

16:30 The Loneliness of Pastoral Ministry

19:55 Ministry Burnout and Sustainability

23:40 Pastoral Supervision in Sydney

28:10 What Is Pastoral Supervision?

33:25 Building Resilient Church Leaders

38:00 Deepening Christian Conversations (New Small Group Resource)

42:15 Final Reflections on Sustainable Ministry

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