Spiritual Well-Being

Among clergy, better spiritual well-being now is associated with lower depressive symptoms later

Our findings underscore the importance of maintaining strong spiritual practices, not just for immediate well-being but also for managing long-term mental health and stress.

Read Our Research Summary

Resources

Fully Alive: A Resource to Guide Clergy Towards Four Behaviors of Flourishing

A comprehensive resource for clergy and faith leaders that defines Christian flourishing, guides clergy to assess their current well-being, distills four identified behaviors of flourishing into actionable steps, and creates room for reflection.

Deepen Your Discernment with the Daily Examen

The Daily Examen is a method of prayerful reflection on the day's events to see where God has been present and discern God’s current direction for you. It is a simple but powerful prayer that can be practiced by anyone, including congregations.

Love Thy Neighbor with Loving Kindness

Loving Kindness Meditation is an effective tool for building compassion during times of stress. In this resource, we share stories from clergy who have used this meditation practice to care for their own health, while caring for others.

List of Recommended Well-Being Practices for Clergy

Evidence-based practices designed to increase your resilience, protect against burnout, and free up energy to do God's work with a renewed sense of creativity and insight.

Research Summaries

Spiritual Well-Being Protective Factor against Depressive Symptoms

Stressful work can lead to feelings of discouragement. Our study among UMC clergy in North Carolina showed that depressive symptoms often arise before work-related distress, with spiritual well-being acting as a buffer against these challenges.

Childhood Abuse Associated with Greater Spiritual Struggles in Seminarians—What We Know and What Can Help

For students with significant trauma in their backgrounds, struggles with God can further amplify struggles with mental health. Addressing both together rather than separately can aid the path to healing.

Reports & Briefs

The State of Clergy Well-Being in 2025

This report highlights top-level physical, mental, and spiritual health findings from the 2025 Statewide Clergy Health Survey. In a historic first for this survey, all three components of burnout decreased simultaneously.

Clergy Health Trends: Spiritual Wellbeing 2008-2023

In this report, readers will find trends on three dimensions of spiritual wellbeing for United Methodist Church (UMC) clergy in North Carolina: spiritual wellbeing in daily life, spiritual wellbeing in ministry, and satisfaction with one’s ministry.