Gender and Sexuality

A good partner is key to married clergywomen’s satisfaction in ministry

Our researchers found that spousal support is the most important kind of support for married clergywomen’s satisfaction in ministry. However, married clergymen were most satisfied when they had a variety of social support. So, how did we get here—and why does it matter?

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Research Summaries

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.

Rates of Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Seminarians

More than 7 in 10 students enter divinity school with at least one Adverse Childhood Experience. Read more on why the upstream factors of mental health matter for theological education.

Common Ground in Seminarians' Attitudes Toward Sexuality

Drawing from 102 in-depth interviews with first year Masters of Divinity students, we explored how students describe and account for their attitudes toward same-sex relationships, marriage, and ordination.

The Resilience of Clergywomen

Clergywomen experience more on-the-job stress than clergymen. But as their stress increases, they're less likely to show depressive symptoms than men, suggesting that women may be particularly well-suited to cope with the challenges of the profession.

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

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.

Are Women Elders Paid Less Than Men?

Using data from the Statewide Clergy Health Survey, this report explores systematic salary differences between men and women elders in the North Carolina and Western North Carolina Annual Conferences of the United Methodist Church.

Journal Articles

2026
Sohail, M. M., Lee, B. H. J., & Salgado, G. & Proeschold-Bell, R. J. (2026). The power of spousal support in ministry: A longitudinal study of social support profiles, marital quality, and ministry satisfaction among United Methodist clergy. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. https://doi.org/10.1111/jssr.70041

Sohail, M. M., Lee, B. H. J., & Proeschold-Bell, R. J. (2026). Examining marital quality within the clergy profession: The relationship between occupational stress, positive occupational factors, and marital satisfaction. Journal of Family Issues, https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X261418737

2023
Holleman, A., Upenieks, L., & Eagle, D. (2023). Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Seminarians: Personal Experiences of Trauma and Implications for Pastoral Well-Being and Ministerial Training. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00916471231206361

Johnston, E.F., Holleman, A., & Krull, L. (2023). "There's theology and then there's the people I love...": Authority and Ambivalence in Seminarians’ Attitudes Towards Same-Sex Relationships, Marriage, and Ordination." Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review. https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/srad040

2022
Gaghan, J. & Eagle, D.E. (2022) “Are Women Elders Paid Less than Men? A Brief Report from the North Carolina Statewide Longitudinal Survey of United Methodist Clergy.” Review of Religious Research, 64:1005–1006. https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/vzpbj

Holleman, Anna. (2022). The resilience of clergywomen?: Gender and the relationship between occupational distress and mental health among congregational leaders. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 62(1), 89-107. https://doi.org/10.1111/jssr.12817

Johnston, E.F. & Eagle, D.E. (2022). “Expanding the Horizontal Call: A Typology of Social Influences on the Call to Ministry.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 62:68–88. https://doi.org/10.1111/jssr.12816

2019
Lutz, J., & Eagle, D. E. (2019). Social networks, support, and depressive symptoms: Gender differences among clergy. Socius, 5, https://doi.org/10.1177/237802311987382

2013
LeGrand, S., Proeschold-Bell, R.J., James, J., & Wallace, A. (2013). Healthy leaders: Multilevel health promotion considerations for diverse United Methodist church pastors. Journal of Community Psychology, 41(3), 303-321. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.21539