Episode 76 - The Wilderness Is Not a Detour (featuring Dustin Kleinschmidt)
Telling stories of turning transition into transformation. There is Life After Ministry.
Most ministry leaders expect relief after stepping away.
What they don’t expect is the wilderness to begin after the resignation.
In this honest conversation, Dustin Kleinschmidt shares how years of crisis leadership, misaligned values, and unresolved grief led to burnout, anxiety, and a deep reckoning with faith.
Rather than rushing toward resolution, Dustin invites leaders to reconsider what the wilderness is actually for.
This episode reframes suffering, challenges Christian shortcuts around pain, and offers language for leaders who feel stuck between obedience and disappointment.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you missed God or why healing is taking so long, this conversation meets you right where you are.
Key Takeaways
Burnout is often the result of long-term erosion, not one failure
Healthy systems can’t sustain you in an unhealthy environment
The wilderness often begins after the role ends
Spiritual bypassing keeps leaders disconnected from their real pain
Value misalignment creates invisible but constant friction
Healing doesn’t mean closure or clarity
God’s presence in the wilderness matters more than getting out of it
Chapter Markers
00:00 – Dustin’s ministry journey and early formation
03:30 – Crisis leadership and long-term erosion
06:20 – When sustainability quietly disappears
09:30 – Why good systems still fail in toxic environments
11:20 – Entering the wilderness after resignation
15:20 – Spiritual bypassing and emotional honesty
18:30 – The Exodus, expectations, and disappointment with God
24:00 – Living faithfully without resolution
28:15 – The Wilderness Way: book, workbook, and music
If you’re in the wilderness and looking for faithful companions along the way, explore The Wilderness Way and Ministry Transitions. Together, they offer resources to help you live honestly with God in hard seasons and engage Scripture with deeper historical and spiritual clarity.
Learn more at https://thewildernessway.com and https://thejewishroad.com.
Find resources. Find hope.
This is a sanctuary for those who've experienced a transition out of church or nonprofit Christian leadership roles. Our mission is to provide a platform for sharing, learning, and growing through each other's experiences.
A place for elders needing answers.
Welcome to the Elder Hub, a platform designed to uplift, empower, and unite elders across Christian denominations. This group serves as support and guidance for those entrusted with the weighty responsibility of making critical decisions within churches and nonprofit ministries.
