Contentment Within, Not Circumstances, Better Predicts Clergy's Quality of Life

It's the beginning of another breathless season of ministry. What small habits can have a big impact on improving your quality of life? New research suggests starting from the inside out.   

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Trends in Ministry Flourishing

Contentment within, rather than with circumstances, better improves clergy's quality of life

“How is it only August, and I already feel behind for Fall?”

It’s a common refrain for those of us who still count the end of summer and rush of fall as a “new year” of sorts, replete with new rhythms, new stressors, and a new opportunity to ask, How do I find better quality of life amidst another breathless season of ministry? A recent study from the Clergy Health Initiative suggests that improving one’s quality of life may rest on first improving one’s mental health habits.

(Keep reading for three simple habits you can start practicing now.)

Published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, our research takes up a classic chicken or the egg question: Does our mental health drive our quality of life? Or does our quality of life drive our mental health? Using three waves of data across six years from the Statewide Clergy Health Survey, we found that clergy who reported positive mental health were much more likely to report good quality of life in the future. But, interestingly, the inverse wasn’t true. Good quality of life in one wave did not predict future mental health flourishing in another.

The takeaway? Cultivating contentment within, rather than external circumstances, is the best strategy for improving our satisfaction in life and ministry. Perhaps this is what Jesus was getting at, too, when he said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Quality of life is a by-product of the quality of our discipleship—and discipleship begins by trusting our “enoughness” in light of God’s goodness. 

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Rev. Amanda Rigby, an associate pastor at Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh, NC, says these findings reinforce what she sees among ministry colleagues. “On the whole, the realities of clergy working in part- or full-time ministry continue to be incredibly challenging here in the United States: shrinking churches, smaller budgets, increasingly polarized congregations, fraught politics both denominationally and certainly nationally.” In this climate, she reflects, contentment has to come from within or else it’s too easy to lose heart.

Of course, contentment, or flourishing, isn’t the same as discipleship, but there is some overlap worth noting. Flourishing, in the field of psychology, is characterized by such things as the ability to experience positive emotions, effectively function, form close relationships, and lead a purposeful life. Those in ministry often enjoy work full of sacred purpose. But when everything from funerals to budget meetings feels sacred, it can be hard to focus on your own soul care. 

As for her own soul care, Rev. Rigby is a huge proponent of doing it in community. As Executive Director of The Well Mental and Spiritual Care, a nonprofit practice of therapy, spiritual direction, life coaching, and community classes in the heart of Raleigh, she lives out a team approach to well-being. “As a clergyperson, my soul care requires a team of others who offer care to me: trusted friends, colleagues, and family members, a clergy covenant group, a licensed therapist, a spiritual director, a physician. Each clergyperson's soul care community might look different, but the end is the same: contentment can only come through intentional care of the soul, which was designed by God for community.”

So, where might you begin again this fall to cultivate positive mental health both alone and together? In addition to other spiritual disciplines like gratitude or prayer, Director of the Clergy Health Initiative Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell suggests three simple habits you can start practicing now: 1) When something good happens in your day, share the news with at least one other person. 2) Pause your day to relive a positive memory, conjuring as many details as you can to savor the feeling. 3) End your day on a high note by doing something you find meaningful or pleasurable—like checking on your favorite project or meeting with your favorite colleague. 

A full life includes a full range of emotions—and care. But given our human hard-wiring to focus on the bad, positive mental health can help not only calibrate our perspective but also improve our quality of life. Because it turns out contentment, like the kingdom, is within you. 

Your Serve Well Resource

The benefits of positive emotions, and how to create them

In addition to other spiritual disciplines, like gratitude or prayer, Director of the Clergy Health Initiative Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell suggests three simple habits you can start practicing now to find contentment within and improve your quality of life. 

About Us

The Collaborative is a partnership between the Duke Clergy Health Initiative (CHI) and Duke Religion and Social Change Lab (RaSCL). CHI focuses on providing pastors with tools to improve their physical, emotional, and spiritual health, while RaSCL focuses on helping current and future faith leaders adapt to evolving times. Together, we serve those who want to serve well. Our work is made possible thanks to the generous time of our clergy and seminarian ministry partners and generous funding from The Duke Endowment. To stay informed of our latest research in ministry formation and flourishing, sign up to get our monthly Serve Well newsletter directly in your inbox.