Clergy Care
Caring for clergy is an essential part of caring for congregations and communities.
Today, clergy are living and serving in complex times. The hours are long,. The work requires emotional labor and interpersonal skills. The tasks range from the theological to the mechanical. The outcomes are often ambiguous with few projects seeing finite endings. The need for a unique and extended sabbath is real.
An emphasis on holistic health is part of our Wesleyan tradition. John Wesley believed that physical, mental, and spiritual health were all connected.
“The support clergy receive (or do not receive) has a direct impact upon their effectiveness and sustainability of congregations and communities. God’s kingdom grows more fully when clergy are healthy and whole, and, by contrast, unhealthy and unsupported clergy hinder the mission of God.”
– AUSTIN AND COMEAU, 2022
Financial Resources
Currently, the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference is offering two clergy care related grants:
Clergy Renewal Leave Grant
The Clergy Renewal Leave Grant provides financial assistance for Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference clergy to take a renewal leave according to ¶351.3 of The 2024 Book of Discipline.
Well-Being Mini Grant
The Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference recommends that both laity and clergy nurture a daily practice of well-being that include five dimensions: physical, emotional, spiritual, relational and financial. Mini-grants are available to support clergy in their regular well-being practices.
Employee Assistance Program
In the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference, all appointed individuals, as well as members in their household, are eligible to access services through an Employee Assistance Program.
Wespath Employee Assistance Program
For clergy and employees who have insurance through Wespath’s HealthFlex, you are eligible to receive confidential counseling and support through Wespath’s Employee Assistance Program. You and members of your household – including those not covered by Wespath’s HealthFlex insurance – have access to eight free sessions per concern per year.
HOW TO GET HELP: Services are confidential. Annual conferences and employers will not know if you choose to use the EAP. Call Optum Health directly at 1-866-881-6800, or log in to the Personify Health app.
Methodist Le Bonheur Employee Assistance Program
Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare offers employee assistant program (EAP) services to all clergy and appointed supply pastors who do not have insurance through Wespath HealthFlex. This plan covers individuals under appointment who have waived healthcare coverage, those who are not eligible for health benefits, and retirees, as well as members of their household, offering eight free sessions per concern per year.
HOW TO GET HELP: To access services, call 800-880-5658.
Books & Articles
Books, research, and resources offering evidence-based insights and practical strategies to support the mental health and well-being of clergy, congregations, and the systems that care for them.
Caring for Clergy: Understanding a Disconnected Network of Providers
Thad S. Austin & Katie R. Comeau
This book draws on national research to examine the individuals and organizations that provide counseling, coaching, spiritual direction, and other support to clergy, revealing significant gaps and disconnects among providers that impact the quality of care pastors receive.
Clergy Health Initiative
Duke Clergy & Religion Research Collaborative
Since 2007 has gathered valuable data on mental, physical, and spiritual well-being specific to United Methodist clergy. Find physical, mental, and spiritual well-being practices, strategies that flourishing clergy use, protective factors against burnout and poor mental health, and practices to manage stress.
2025 Clergy Well-Being Survey
Wespath Benefits and Investments provides a collection of clergy well-being studies, including its biennial Clergy Well-Being Survey, alongside denominational health research from external sources, tracking trends in the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of United Methodist clergy over time.
CommonTable
Network for clergy care providers. Past virtual gatherings include topics such as clergy resilience, clergy work-family conflict, and the church as frontline mental health providers.
Flourishing in Ministry
Birthed out of Dr. Matt Bloom and the University of Notre Dame; supports ministry leaders into daily wellbeing, resilience, thriving, and wellness.
Rest is Resistance
Tricia Hersey
Rooted in Black liberation theology and Afrofuturism, this book challenges the culture of overwork and constant productivity, making the case that rest is a form of resistance and a pathway to reclaiming one’s humanity and power in a world driven by relentless labor.
