Congregational and Social Supports

More than 82% of interviewed pastors said conflict with congregation members impacts their well-being.

Want to support your pastor well in times of stress? Our newest resource for P/SPRCs, Bear One Another's Burdens, outlines the top five challenges clergy face and offers suggestions for addressing them.

Download the Resource

Resources

Bear One Another's Burdens: A Handy Guide for P/SPRCs to Support Clergy in Times of Stress

Using interview data from UMC clergy, we identified the most common sources of stress for clergy. In this guide, you’ll read about these notable challenges, along with some suggestions for making a positive difference in their well-being.

Loved and Cared For: A Handy Guide for P/SPRCs Who Want to Support Their Pastor Well

This guide is intended to help P/SPRCs engage in practices which support their pastor feeling loved and cared for. The ideas in this guide can be explored in more detail as a committee through the resource Keeping the Faith.

Keeping the Faith: Conversations to Strengthen the Bond Between Pastors and Church Leaders

Addressing tough topics is essential for healthy churches & pastors. This guide offers tools to help P/SPRC committees and their pastors come together for difficult conversations and offers skills needed to live together in healthy community.

Pastor & Parish: A Learning Resource for Staff/Pastor-Parish Relations Committees

Combining videos, workbook content, guided discussion and complementary readings, this six-session series for United Methodist staff-parish relations committees offers guidance on how to create a covenant to guide their work as a ministry.

Research Summaries

Hope After Division

The past few years have been challenging yet hopeful for clergy in North Carolina's United Methodist Church, who have navigated significant cultural shifts. Read interesting findings based on the 2023 Clergy Health Initiative Survey.

Key Findings from Our Disaffiliation Report

Based on NC-UMC clergy’s assessments of their own congregations, 57% of churches remaining after disaffiliation were purple, 25% were red, and 18% were blue. Read up on other key findings from our 2024 report in this summary.

Social Influences on the Call to Ministry

47% of seminary students say someone else suggested ministry before they considered it for themselves. Learn about the six types of people who showed up most often in call stories, as well as how men and women narrated the influence of others differently.

Reports & Briefs

Seeking and Giving Social Support among UMC Clergy in NC

The relationship between support ties among clergy and their well-being is more complex than it appears. This report highlights key findings on social support ties and outlines future research questions.

Witnessing the Wounds: BIPOC Clergy in the United Methodist Church Reflect on Their Callings, Careers, and Pastoral Experiences

Amid clergy burnout and civil unrest, a group of seventeen Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) clergy were asked questions regarding their call stories, ordination experiences, and careers in the North Carolina United Methodist Church.

Disaffiliation from the United Church Methodist in North Carolina: Challenges and Opportunities

With partisan conflict at an all-time high, this report suggests a timely opportunity for the denomination to embrace its “Big Tent” roots and seed communities where plurality without division can thrive.