Clergy Wellness

The Rev. Shane Moore shares how an encounter with panic attacks, and subsequent conversations with members of his church, led him to offer a 4-week sermon series on the topic of mental health. He wonders how we could "change the conversation" around the topic if more churches engaged mental health directly.

By the Rev. DJ del Rosario In the summer of 2016, I engaged in my first sabbatical as a United Methodist clergy person. In reflecting on...

The Rev. Katy Shedlock has taken on bike commuting along with a new appointment to start a church in Spokane, Washington. Describing it as a "surprising means of grace," biking to work has helped her to feel grounded and see her community in new ways.

"In our hierarchical church system, there are plenty of ways we marginalize people called to ministry," writes Rev. Jenny Partch. On the Clergy Wellness blog, she reflects on the challenges of serving as a licensed local pastor in a system designed to give preference those who are ordained.

"Grief is a funny thing…it twists and turns and jerks you around in ways you might not anticipate and, yet, not at all at the times you do anticipate." Just a few months into a new appointment, in a conference new to her, the Rev. Debbie Sperry had her mother pass away from cancer. Sperry shares how her grief and ministry have interacted in this vulnerable, well-written post.

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.

Following a recent post by Rev. Austin Adkinson where he shared his own struggles with anxiety, Sun Magrath gives an overview of the general kinds people encounter. "Anxiety is not a sign of weakness," Magrath writes. "It is an understandable and treatable disorder that can be overcome..."

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...

Welcome to the Clergy Wellness Corner! You are reading the first monthly column of the Clergy Wellness Corner where we'll emphasize different aspects of health and wellness...

The Clergy Wellness Task Force is in the process of creating a directory of helping professionals. We want to offer clergy a resource for...