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November '24 Newsletter: Common Ground on Polarizing Topic
Hello!
Welcome to the Serve Well newsletter, a new collaborative resource from the Duke Clergy Health Initiative and Duke Religion and Social Change Lab. Every month, we'll be sharing trends in ministry formation and flourishing so that however you serve—seminarian, clergy, researcher, educator, or administrator—you can serve well.
The liturgical season of Advent—and the accompanying hum of holiday gatherings—awaits Christian leaders. That’s why this month we’re focusing on ministry's tensions and transformations.
Trends in Ministry Formation
Seminarians Find Common Ground on Polarizing Topic
The holiday table can be a place of both communion and contention. Our research on how seminarians find common ground on questions of sexuality may provide a hopeful way forward. Conversations that start by acknowledging shared and overlapping authorities can reduce stereotypes of the “other side” and make these interactions more fruitful, especially when uncertainties and contradictions are allowed to breathe.
>Download the Research Summary
Trends in Ministry Flourishing
Vast Majority of Pastors Experience Hope in UMC’s Future
The past few years have been challenging for United Methodist Church (UMC) clergy who’ve had to navigate a historic schism. The latest brief from the Statewide Clergy Health Survey shows that while positive and negative experiences related to disaffiliation were common among North Carolina pastors, an overwhelming majority (88%) said they felt a sense of hope in the future of the UMC.
>Download the Research Summary
Your Serve Well Resource
Standing in the Gap with Parker Palmer and Kate Bowler
The Religion and Social Change Lab team recently had the pleasure of arranging an interview between authors Parker Palmer and Kate Bowler on the Everything Happens podcast. In it, Parker and Kate explore the "tragic gap"—that space between the hard truths of our reality and the better world we’re called to imagine. If you’ve ever felt like hope is just out of reach, especially in the aftermath of a polarizing election, this conversation may provide a touch of light.
About Us
The Duke Clergy & Religion Research Collaborative (CRRC) 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 research participants 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.