Emotional Well-Being Resources

According to the past 10 years of data, emotional well-being is one of the most concerning areas for clergy. In the most recent 2023 survey, results showed that more clergy reported difficulty functioning day to day due to experiencing depressive symptoms. This was much worse in 2023 than in 2013, while the number of clergy being treated for depression has only increased slightly.

We hypothesize that there are significant barriers for clergy seeking treatment for their emotional needs, including stigma around seeking treatment, privacy concerns, access to mental health care, and even fully understanding what symptoms might signal a need for treatment.

Resources

• First Aid for Mental Health—These on-demand, one-hour training sessions can help you identify when someone is struggling with mental health concerns, teach you how to start a conversation and respond with empathy to get them the help they need. These sessions help educate the entire connection and create a supportive environment for UMC clergy who struggle with their emotional well-being.
  
  
• Interactive Guide to HealthFlex Mental Health Resources—One of the barriers to seeking mental health support is not knowing where to start. To help HealthFlex participants and covered dependents overcome this barrier, this guide asks individuals a series of questions and offers suggestions for mental health resources that might be a good fit for their needs and interests. HealthFlex is the group health plan offered by Wespath and sponsored by many UMC annual conferences.
  
  
• 50 Ways to Support Your Pastor—These tips from Wespath’s “50 Ways to Support Your Pastor” can help empower congregational leaders to positively influence clergy emotional well-being.
  
  • Encourage the pastor to schedule two days off each week—a personal day in addition to a Sabbath day. Respect your pastor’s day off, contacting him/her only for “true emergencies.” Discuss in advance what constitutes a “true emergency.”
  • Encourage the pastor to have a coach or counselor outside the church with whom to discuss and process church and personal issues.
  • Support the pastor in setting congregational expectations for his/her time, talents and priorities.
    
    
• Resiliency Toolkit—Resiliency is important, especially when life isn’t going as planned. It can give you the ability to recover or adjust during challenging times. This toolkit for clergy and other Church leaders examines how the five dimensions of well-being can help build resiliency with tips and strategies for each dimension.
  
  
• Video: Exploring Clergy Emotional Well-Being—Wespath’s Kelly Wittich interviews Dr. Ron Bell, director of Healing and Resilience for Discipleship Ministries and The Upper Room, about how emotional well-being plays a critical role in the overall well-being of clergy.

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