Clergy Wellness

"Grief is a funny thing…it twists and turns and jerks you around in ways you might not anticipate and, yet, not at all at the times you do anticipate." Just a few months into a new appointment, in a conference new to her, the Rev. Debbie Sperry had her mother pass away from cancer. Sperry shares how her grief and ministry have interacted in this vulnerable, well-written post.

By Meredith Dodd  I have no idea how to pray. I’m not alone. Scripture reminds us that when it comes to prayer, none of us really...

The Rev. Shane Moore shares how an encounter with panic attacks, and subsequent conversations with members of his church, led him to offer a 4-week sermon series on the topic of mental health. He wonders how we could "change the conversation" around the topic if more churches engaged mental health directly.

By the Rev. Brad Beeman | Pastor, Bellevue: Aldersgate UMC I’ll never forget the day I got a personal call from my doctor asking me...

In the first installment of the Clergy Wellness Corner of the new year, pastoral counselor and #UMC deacon Denise McGuiness shares a meditative practice called Lovingkindness. She writes that "this practice has been a life changer for me, especially in the current state of the world that is full of divisiveness and hate."

By the Rev. DJ del Rosario In the summer of 2016, I engaged in my first sabbatical as a United Methodist clergy person. In reflecting on...

"I’m not ashamed of my illness. But I am still grappling with what it means to work within a church culture that exacerbates the very illnesses we are called to help heal." The Rev. Meredith Dodd shares from her experience with mental illness, the support that has worked, and a challenge for us all to recognize what we can do to transform the Church to better express God's love and concern.

"I’m not going to say everything went perfectly. I’m not going to say it was easy. But about two years ago I asked my District Superintendent for help with my anxiety disorder, and I’m glad I did." Rev. Austin Adkinson, pastor at Haller Lake UMC in Seattle, shares his story of asking for and receiving help as a means of encouraging clergy colleagues in need to do the same.

By Denise McGuiness, PhD, M.Div | Pastoral Psychologist, Deacon We all know that life is stressful. In fact, without a certain amount of stress, life would...

By Patrick Scriven | Director of Communications, Young People’s Ministries Being a clergy spouse is a complicated gift. In my experience, it has many positives...