Gender and Sexuality

Prevalence of traumatic childhood experiences differs for sexual and gender minorities in seminary

While 7 in 10 seminarians surveyed reported at least one Adverse Childhood Experience, sexual and gender minorities were more likely to have lived with someone who had mental illness.

Read our Research Summary

Resources

Love Thy Neighbor with Loving Kindness

Loving Kindness Meditation is an effective tool for building compassion during times of stress. In this resource, we share stories from clergy who have used this meditation practice to care for their own health, while caring for others.

Stress Management Practices from the Selah Study

This Stress Management study (Selah) 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.

List of Recommended Well-Being Practices for Clergy

Evidence-based practices designed to increase your resilience, protect against burnout, and free up energy to do God's work with a renewed sense of creativity and insight.

Research Summaries

Rates of Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Seminarians

More than 7 in 10 students enter divinity school with at least one Adverse Childhood Experience. Read more on why the upstream factors of mental health matter for theological education.

Common Ground in Seminarians' Attitudes Toward Sexuality

Drawing from 102 in-depth interviews with first year Masters of Divinity students, we explored how students describe and account for their attitudes toward same-sex relationships, marriage, and ordination.

Key Findings from Our Disaffiliation Report

Based on NC-UMC clergy’s assessments of their own congregations, 57% of churches remaining after disaffiliation were purple, 25% were red, and 18% were blue. Read up on other key findings from our 2024 report in this summary.

Social Influences on the Call to Ministry

47% of seminary students say someone else suggested ministry before they considered it for themselves. Learn about the six types of people who showed up most often in call stories, as well as how men and women narrated the influence of others differently.

The Resilience of Clergywomen

Clergywomen experience more on-the-job stress than clergymen. But as their stress increases, they're less likely to show depressive symptoms than men, suggesting that women may be particularly well-suited to cope with the challenges of the profession.

Reports & Briefs

Are Women Elders Paid Less Than Men?

Using data from the Statewide Clergy Health Survey, this report explores systematic salary differences between men and women elders in the North Carolina and Western North Carolina Annual Conferences of the United Methodist Church.

Disaffiliation from the United Church Methodist in North Carolina: Challenges and Opportunities

With partisan conflict at an all-time high, this report suggests a timely opportunity for the denomination to embrace its “Big Tent” roots and seed communities where plurality without division can thrive.

Journal Articles

2023
Johnston, E.F., Holleman, A., & Krull, L. (2023). "There's theology and then there's the people I love...": Authority and Ambivalence in Seminarians’ Attitudes Towards Same-Sex Relationships, Marriage, and Ordination." Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review. https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/srad040

2022
Gaghan, J. & Eagle, D.E. (2022) “Are Women Elders Paid Less than Men? A Brief Report from the North Carolina Statewide Longitudinal Survey of United Methodist Clergy.” Review of Religious Research, 64:1005–1006. https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/vzpbj

Holleman, Anna. (2022). The resilience of clergywomen?: Gender and the relationship between occupational distress and mental health among congregational leaders. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 62(1), 89-107. https://doi.org/10.1111/jssr.12817

2019
Lutz, J., & Eagle, D. E. (2019). Social networks, support, and depressive symptoms: Gender differences among clergy. Socius, 5, https://doi.org/10.1177/237802311987382

2013
LeGrand, S., Proeschold-Bell, R.J., James, J., & Wallace, A. (2013). Healthy leaders: Multilevel health promotion considerations for diverse United Methodist church pastors. Journal of Community Psychology, 41(3), 303-321. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.21539