Vocational Discernment

Students with good field education experiences were significantly more likely to stay the course in congregational ministry

Two prominent factors emerged as key to shaping students’ experiences: relationships, especially with their supervisor, and direct ministry experiences.

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Resources

Deepen Your Discernment with the Daily Examen

The Daily Examen is a method of prayerful reflection on the day's events to see where God has been present and discern God’s current direction for you. It is a simple but powerful prayer that can be practiced by anyone, including congregations.

Fully Alive: A Resource to Guide Clergy Towards Four Behaviors of Flourishing

A comprehensive resource for clergy and faith leaders that defines Christian flourishing, guides clergy to assess their current well-being, distills four identified behaviors of flourishing into actionable steps, and creates room for reflection.

Research Summaries

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.

Spiritual Well-Being Protective Factor against Depressive Symptoms

Stressful work can lead to feelings of discouragement. Our study among UMC clergy in North Carolina showed that depressive symptoms often arise before work-related distress, with spiritual well-being acting as a buffer against these challenges.

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

Field Education: Student Experiences & Reflections

This report, based on 2020 and 2021 survey/interview data from 186 students in field education, uncovers the vital role of field education in discerning students' calling and the impact of relationships and direct ministry on shaping these experiences.

Witnessing the Wounds: BIPOC Clergy in the United Methodist Church Reflect on Their Callings, Careers, and Pastoral Experiences

Amid clergy burnout and civil unrest, a group of seventeen Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) clergy were asked questions regarding their call stories, ordination experiences, and careers in the North Carolina United Methodist Church.

Unequal Careers of Black and White Pastors in the United Methodist Church in North and South Carolina

A decade-long research journey uncovers racial disparities in salaries and working environments among Carolina UMC clergy. Inequalities are unintentionally perpetuated by denomination policies and appointment processes, sparking critical conversations.

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.

Blessings of Retirement

We took a closer look at how things are going for clergy who have been serving for decades, those who are 55 and older, and those who have retired. And guess what? The life indicators look good in each case!

Journal Articles

2022
Eagle, D.E. & Mueller, C.W. (2022). “Reproducing inequality in a formally anti-racist organization: The case of racialized career pathways in the United Methodist Church.” American Journal of Sociology, 127(5): 1507–1550. https://doi.org/10.1086/719391

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

Johnston, E.F. & Eagle, D.E. (2022). “Expanding the Horizontal Call: A Typology of Social Influences on the Call to Ministry.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 62:68–88. https://doi.org/10.1111/jssr.12816

2021
Hamm, A. and Eagle, D.E. (2021). “Clergy who leave pastoral ministry: A review of the literature.” Journal of Psychology and Theology. https://doi.org/10.1177/00916471211011597

2017
Adams, C., Hough, H., Proeschold-Bell, R.J., Yao, J., & Kolkin, M. (2017). Clergy burnout: A comparison study with other helping professionals. Pastoral Psychology, 66(2), 147-175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-016-0722-4

Eagle, D., Miles, A., & Proeschold-Bell, R.J. (2017). The honeymoon is over: Occupational relocation and changes in mental health among United Methodist clergy. Review of Religious Research, 59 (1), 31-45, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13644-016-0263-4

2012
Miles, A., & Proeschold-Bell, R.J. (2012). 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, 73(1), 23-45. https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/srr025