Clergy Health Initiative
“The love of God, as it is the sovereign remedy of all miseries, so in particular it effectually prevents all the bodily disorders the passions introduce, by keeping the passions themselves within due bounds. And by the unspeakable joy, and perfect calm, serenity and tranquiloity it gives the mind, it becomes the most powerful means of health and long life.” — John Wesley
The Clergy Health Initiative’s definition of health is wholeness of body, mind and spirit. In July 2007, the Duke Endowment generously funded a seven-year program intended to improve the health of 1600 North Carolina United Methodist pastors serving full time as elders or local pastors.
Our Partners
The program’s working partners are the Duke Divinity School, The Duke Endowment and the North Carolina and Western North Carolina Conferences of the United Methodist Church.
Our Vision
To develop a resilient, well-informed cadre of United Methodist pastors as skilled in the care of themselves and their families as they are in the care of their congregations.
Our Mission
Our goals combine research and service: we will assess the health of pastors at baseline and two-year intervals, and we will offer a range of health-related services and interventions for clergy to choose from. The Clergy Health Initiative will design, deliver and evaluate a
holistic program of health and support services that:
- Is based on a sound theory of adult behavior change;
- Is grounded in Wesleyan theology;
- Is responsive to the stated needs and wishes of participants;
- provides participants with personal information about the current state of their physical, emotional and vocational health and prescriptions for improving same;
- offers individual and small group options for addressing personal changes;
- protects participant confidentiality; and
- is consistently evaluated for participant satisfaction and program effectiveness.
Our Plan
In 2008, the Clergy Health Initiative will undertake a statewide survey designed to measure the current physcial, mental, spiritual amd vocational health of clergy. At the same time, we’ll convene groups of clergy and health advisors to help us design a program that clergy will want to participate in. We will begin a series of continuing education events on health and offer them statewide.
In early 2009, we’ll pilot-test programs and services, recruit and train service providers. By October 2009 we hope to open enrollment to all fulltime elders and local pastors in both North Carolina conferences.
For more information, or to make suggestions, contact:
Robin Swift, MPH
Director, Clergy Health Initiative
Duke Divinity School at American Tobacco Campus
312 Blackwell Street, Suite 101 - Noell Building
Durham, NC 27701