Clergy Wellness

"Clergy are often caught carrying the cross of United Methodist decline in ways that are both unfair and debilitating. This is not a recipe for success..." Patrick Scriven offers some reflections which may be helpful to local church leaders looking to support their pastoral leaders as they weather turbulent days together.

By the Rev. Brad Beeman | Pastor, Bellevue: Aldersgate UMC I’ll never forget the day I got a personal call from my doctor asking me...

"Do New Year resolutions ... make us better people, better Christians, better pastors?" Sue Magrath asks this question as the new year approaches and offers an alternative, more contemplative, approach.

By Sue Magrath | Sacred Mountain Ministries The clergy wellness task force has been working for the last several months to put together a “Helping Professionals Directory” for...

By Daniel Flahiff | Personal Trainer Have you struggled with weight gain, strength loss, low energy levels and depression? I have. It’s the true ‘State of the...

In a post for the clergy wellness blog, Rev. Laura Baumgartner writes about dual relationships, something that can be hard to avoid and require careful navigation. She identifies transparency, good boundaries, and prayer as tools to avoid harm and to allow God to work through these relationships.

By Sue Magrath | Sacred Mountain Ministries It’s been a long, hot summer. Even the western side of the state has had little or no rain in several...

In a post for the Clergy Wellness column, Rev. Katie Stickney shares how a recent bout of back pain revealed a new truth. While self-care offers all sorts of logistical challenges, the "biggest barriers" are often harder to see and tied into our beliefs about ourselves and our value.

By Rev. John J. Shaffer As I reflect on my 51 years in ministry, I am aware that ministry, for the most part, remained fun...

"What do we do when anything we can do seems like sticking our finger into in the dike in an attempt to fend off a tidal wave?", asks Sue Magrath reflecting on the surge in victims/survivors of sexual assault who are sharing their stories, some for the first time. She shares that clergy should prepare themselves to be present to listen to those who have been harmed, to advocate so that they are heard, and to fight for sweeping societal change for a better tomorrow.