We believe congregations and communities flourish when pastors have permission and tools to foster their physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
Since 2007, the Clergy Health Initiative has been gathering valuable data on the mental, spiritual, and physical well-being issues specific to United Methodist clergy in North Carolina. Our mission is simple but important: we're here to support you and those who have your back, so you can do God's work with energy, creativity, and insight. Our research-based recommendations are designed to help pastors like you maximize your health, so you can thrive in your ministry and in life - because we know that when you're at your best, amazing things can happen.
Who We Serve:
- North Carolina and Western North Carolina UMC clergy and congregational leaders
- Seminary students who anticipate becoming clergy
- Denominational officials and nonprofit leaders who care for clergy
- Academic audiences in occupational health
Ask Us About Our Research On:
- Physical, mental, and spiritual well-being and related practices
- Strategies that flourishing clergy use
- Protective factors against burnout and poor mental health
- Practices to manage stress
Evidence-Based Practices to Support Clergy Well-Being
We know how much you pour your heart and soul into caring for others. But here's the thing: when you take care of yourself, you'll be better equipped to serve and support your congregation with a whole heart. We are dedicated to offering you evidence-based practices, specially designed programs for you and your SPRC/PPRC, and uplifting stories that empower you to prevent burnout and embrace the abundance of life. Remember, you are not alone - we advocate for your well-being alongside denominational officials and fellow clergy leaders. Let's join forces to achieve wholeness together.
Resources for Clergy
Our data-informed strategies are designed just for you. Our resources aim to increase your resilience, protect against burnout, and free up energy to do God's work with a renewed sense of creativity and insight. We're here to help you thrive as you engage in God’s work with your full heart and soul.
Featured Content
Ministering to Ministers: Clergy Health Initiative helps pastors find strength amid stress
The Rev. Shannon Marie Berry ministers to her Freemont, North Carolina, congregation with support from the Duke Clergy Health Initiative, which provides strategies for dealing with the mental and physical stressors of leading a church.
TAKE A BREATH: An Overview of the Selah Stress Management Intervention
The Selah Stress Management Trial identified three stress reduction practices that allow pastors to fully live into the work that God is calling them to do with creativity, insight, and energy – even during the most stressful times.
Featured Videos
Pastor Jason Villegas: taming anxiety through meditation
"When we take care of ourselves, it gives other people the license to do the same."
Pastor Carol Carkin: Listening to the body's wisdom
"Jesus had a very embodied experience and that means I shouldn’t ignore my own."
Pastor Terry Williams: finding peace through the Daily Examen
"As clergy we are expected to tell people how to grieve, but we forget to tell ourselves how to grieve."
Published Research
When Shepherds Shed: Trajectories of Weight-Related Behaviors in a Holistic Health Intervention Tailored for US Christian Clergy Journal of Religion & Health (2023)
The Selah trial: A preference-based partially randomized waitlist control study of three stress management interventions Journal of Religion & Health (2023)
A Two-Year Holistic Health and Stress Intervention: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial in Clergy
American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2017) PDF version.
Use of a Randomized Multiple Baseline Design: Rationale and Design of the Spirited Life Holistic Health Intervention Study
Contemporary Clinical Trials (2013). PDF version.
Tailoring Health Programming to Clergy: Findings from a Study of United Methodist Clergy in North Carolina
Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community (2012) . PDF version.
Health Programming for Clergy: An Overview of Protestant Programs
Pastoral Psychology (2011). PDF version.
A Theoretical Model of the Holistic Health of United Methodist Pastors.
Journal of Religion and Health (2009). PDF version.
Multilevel health promotion considerations for diverse United Methodist Church Pastors. Journal of Community Psychology (2013). PDF version.
Relationships between Sabbath observance and mental, physical, and spiritual health in clergy
Pastoral Psychology (2019). PDF version.
- Feature article: A Holistic Approach to Wellness
- Chart: Conditions Contributing to Clergy Health
A prospective study of clergy spiritual well-being, depressive symptoms, and occupational distress
Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (2019). PDF version.
The Selah trial: A preference-based partially randomized waitlist control study of three stress management interventions Journal of Religion & Health (2023)
The Gap in Mental Health Service Utilization Among United Methodist Clergy with Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms (.doc)
Journal of Religion and Health (2022)
A prospective study of clergy spiritual well-being, depressive symptoms, and occupational distress
Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (2019). PDF version.
Attitudes and behaviors that differentiate clergy with positive mental health from those with burnout
Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community (2019) . PDF version.
Persistent depressive symptoms in a population with high levels of occupational stress: trajectories offer insights to both chronicity and resilience
Journal of Psychiatric Practice (2018). PDF version.
Using Effort-Reward Imbalance Theory to Understand High Rates of Depression and Anxiety Among Clergy
Journal of Primary Prevention (2013) . PDF version.
The Glory of God is a Human Being Fully Alive: Predictors of Positive Versus Negative Mental Health Among Clergy. PDF version.
Clergy burnout: A comparison study with other helping professions
Pastoral Psychology (2017). PDF version.
Prospective associations between depressive symptoms and the metabolic syndrome: The Spirited Life study of United Methodist pastors
Annals of Behavioral Medicine (2017). PDF version.
Social Networks, Support, and Depressive Symptoms: Gender Differences among Clergy
Socius (2019). PDF version.
Perceived social support, received social support, and depression among clergy
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships (2018). PDF version.
The honeymoon is over: Occupational relocation and changes in mental health among United Methodist clergy
Review of Religious Research (2017). PDF version.
Disentangling race and socioeconomic status in health disparities research: An examination of black and white clergy
Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities (2018). PDF version.
Overcoming the Challenges of Pastoral Work? Peer Support Groups and Psychological Distress among United Methodist Church Clergy Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review (2012). PDF version.
Relationships between Sabbath observance and mental, physical, and spiritual health in clergy
Pastoral Psychology (2019). PDF version.
Closeness to God Among Those Doing God’s Work: A Spiritual Well-Being Measure for Clergy
Journal of Religion and Health (2013). PDF version.
A prospective study of clergy spiritual well-being, depressive symptoms, and occupational distress
Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (2019). PDF version.
Are Rural Clergy Worse Off?: An Examination of Occupational Conditions and Pastoral Experiences in a Sample of United Methodist Clergy
Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review (2011). PDF version.
Explaining Rural/Non-rural Disparities in Physical Health-related Quality of Life: A Study of United Methodist Clergy in North Carolina
Quality of Life Research (2010). PDF version.
Closeness to God Among Those Doing God’s Work: A Spiritual Well-Being Measure for Clergy
Journal of Religion and Health (2013). PDF version.
Use of a Randomized Multiple Baseline Design: Rationale and Design of the Spirited Life Holistic Health Intervention Study
Contemporary Clinical Trials (2013).
Measuring stress in a clergy population: Lessons learned from cognitive interview testing of the Perceived Stress Scale with clergy
Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion (2015). PDF version.
Methodological Considerations in the Use of Name Generators and Interpreters
Social Networks (2015). PDF version.
Questions?
- Contact Laura Hamrick, Clergy Engagement Coordinator, about resources for clergy well-being, research-informed suggestions on denominational program development, and opportunities for conversations and collaborations.
- Contact Ruth Eckles, Director of Communications, for media inquiries and communications questions.
- Contact Logan Tice, Research Manager, for questions related to our research.
The Duke Clergy Health Initiative is funded by The Duke Endowment, a collaborative initiative between the Duke Divinity School and the Duke Global Health Institute, giving it a strong theological underpinning and the excellence of Duke’s research environment.