Mental Health & Well-being
We will prioritize how to help our clergy, churches, and staff remain healthy and flourishing as we navigate the challenging parts of ministry.
Identifying strategies for healthy clergy, congregation, connection
The initiative names four strategies, along with concrete action steps, to move the needle on clergy and congregational well-being across the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference:
- Improve clergy well-being. This includes funding for ongoing clergy wellness practices and renewal leave; strategic communication to reduce stigma associated with mental health needs and encourage laity and clergy to seek help; and the creation of new spaces for clergy to connect in relationship with each other outside of Annual Conference gatherings.
- Equip those who care for, supervise, and support clergy wellness. This includes offering opportunities of connection for clergy partners and families; partnering with the Cabinet to clarify and grow their capacity to support clergy wellness; and engaging Staff Parish Relation leadership in ongoing connection and learning.
- Foster a culture of well-being across the conference to promote wellness and healthy connection. This includes calling on ministry teams to incorporate standard conference-wide wellness practices into their work; creating and implementing a trauma-informed appointment process; and conducting a clergy wellness survey every four years.
- Resource laity and local congregations to care for the mental health and well-being of each other and their neighbors. This includes mental health training for clergy and laity; creating conference-wide cohorts for churches meeting specific mental health needs; and adopting a conference-wide response plan to activate for congregations in crisis.
Conference-wide Initiative Announced to Bolster Clergy and Congregational Well-being
Originally published April 14, 2025 It started with a question: How is the Holy Spirit inviting the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference to tend to our mental health and well-being within the
Mental Health & Well-Being Guide Team
Courtney Lawson | Chair
Rev. Marie C. King | Chaplain
Rev. Melinda Young Britt
Rev. Roger Brown
Rev. Renee Dillard
Rev. Keller Hawkins
Rev. Timothy Holton
Amy J. Hurd
Audrey Jordan
Mandy Mitchell
Rev. Ken Murray
Melinda Parker
Rev. Nancy Johnston Varden
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