Body Anatomy & Church Health Development

Clergy Health Research and Reports

updated

8/04/08

I. Various surveys have produced the image that clergy health and pastoral satisfaction are in a crisis state.

Many of the clergy crisis ministries either quote from one of these studies of clergy

The listed studies include:

1991 Fuller Institute of Church Growth

George Barna, What Americans Believe

Blackmon & Hart, Clergy Assessment & Career Development

Malony & Hunt, The Psychology of Clergy

Leadership, Fall 1992 Marriage Problems Pastors Face

Current Thoughts & Trends, May 1992

Leadership, Fall 1992

Current Thoughts & Trends, December 1992

Duane Alleman, Theology News & Notes, Fuller Seminary

Ministries Today, Nov / Dec 1992

Focus on the Family Survey

Current Thoughts & Trends, July 1992

A. The Kettering Counseling Care Center

Read a quote from one of the pastors studied by the Institute of Church Ministry at Andrews University indicating a sense of deep frustration. To read it, scroll down to the bottom of the Kettering page.

B. Maranatha Life's Life-Line For Pastors Statistics About Pastors

These statistics came from across denomination lines, and have been gleaned from various reliable sources such as Pastor to Pastor, Focus on the Family, Ministries Today, Charisma Magazine, TNT Ministries, Campus Crusade for Christ and the Global Pastors Network.

C. Duke Divinity School's Pulpit & the Pew

1. Protestant Pastoral Ministry at the Beginning of the New Millennium by Jackson W. Carroll, Duke Divinity School

His article gives some reasons for not accepting overly positive reports about clergy satisfaction.

2. Job Satisfaction and Role Ambiguity Experienced by Protestant Clergy: Investigation of Possible Predictors of Vocational Longevity and Clinical Depression

Part of Duke Divinity School's Pulpit & the Pew research was this dissertation by Kenneth Jones

Dr. Jackson W. Carroll, Duke Divinity School, mentions this dissertation in his online article “Protestant Pastoral Ministry at the Beginning of the New Millennium” page 7, footnote 3.

As is stated on the Dr. Carroll’s above mentioned article.

One of the dissertations that we are funding as part of our Pastoral Leadership Project (Jones, forthcoming) is exploring this matter in some detail. In responses to a mailed questionnaire, he has found that a majority of clergy check responses saying that they are very or moderately satisfied with their jobs. However, when given opportunity to write in comments, a significant portion of these same clergy express considerable dissatisfaction with their jobs. How to interpret the discrepancy is an interesting problem.

3. Which Way to Clergy Health?

This part of the Pulpit and the Pew Pastoral Leadership Project raises two theological issues. We clergy are no longer great examples of health. Today’s clergy have more stress and less support than the previous pastors who had more support and less resources. Thus, whole church must regain a theology of the stewardship of one’s personal health.

The whole church must experience a theological renewal concerning the incarnation of Christ which carries with it a much more positive view of the body. Today’s unbiblical view of the body comes from mixing Neo-Plantonism with Christian doctrine among some in the very early years of the Church. Neo-Plantonism teaches a false dichotomy of the body as bad and the spirit as good. This led people back then and today to substitute brave faithfulness to the Gospel for living a life of dying to the self and living for God and others to the degree of not caring for their own health.

II. Important Links to Other Research.

A. Forced Pastoral Exists: An Exploratory Study

This is research report about exited pastors is based

on information from Pastors in Residence Survey.

The Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view this

document.

B. Hundreds of Pastors Leave Their Ministry Each Month

C. Ministerial Health and Wellness, 2002 Evangelical

Lutheran Church

D. SunScape Ministries of Colorado, which serves clergy

in crises, reported that in all denominations nationwide,

1,600 ministers per month are terminated or forced to

resign their pulpit.

E. Faith and Health Connection Pastors page Clergy health could be one of the most vital issues we have in the world. The greater the level of individual clergy health, the more effective pastors and clergy will be able to serve their congregations and communities with the message of hope, grace and love.

III. Links to Other Important Articles.

A. A collaboration for clergy health and wellness

The physical and mental health of Clergy in North

America has reached a crisis point.

B. A Sick Body A report of the Health of the Church

in North America. by John M. Crowe

C. American Baptists focus on clergy health

D. Brother Martin or Pastor Superstar?

by John M. Crowe

E. DEAR CHURCH! WE QUIT! Marriage and Ministry

Depression by Dr. Paddy Ducklow

F. Disabilities and Clergy. Clergy use an enormous