Let your voice be heard. The 9th Statewide Clergy Health Survey deadline has been extended. All United Methodist clergy in North Carolina should have received a unique survey link in their Conference email; please email clergyhealth.panel@duke.edu if you did not. According to our data, the survey is taking an average of just under 60 minutes to complete. 

Welcome to the Serve Well newsletter, a collaborative resource from the Duke Clergy Health Initiative and Duke Religion and Social Change Lab. Every month, we share trends in ministry formation and flourishing so that however you serve—seminarian, clergy, researcher, educator, or administrator—you can serve well.

For Pastor- and Staff-Parish Relations Committees (P/SPRCs) in the United Methodist Church (UMC), it’s the last but arguably highest duty listed in their job description: “To encourage, monitor, and support clergy and lay staff in the pursuit of health and wholeness.” But how do they—and other laity in the church—walk the talk?

If you’re reading this article, you’re on the right track. (Bonus points for forwarding it to your P/SPRC Chair or Lay Leader.)  

Research on clergy well-being conducted by the Duke Clergy Health Initiative in 2023 identified that feeling “loved and cared for” by their congregants is strongly associated with better clergy mental health. In what can feel like a thankless and distressing world, laity can make a huge difference in the lives of their pastors. And when pastors flourish, their congregations and communities are more likely to flourish, too.

READ: Clergy Share Their Top Sources of Stress

That’s why we created the aptly titled Loved and Cared For, a resource that lays out the do’s and don’ts for P/SPRC’s and church leaders who want to express appreciation for their pastors in ways both creative and countercultural. (Think less bundt cakes and more support to take their vacation days.) However, we think these best practices can apply to supporting any church staff member in serving well.

Here’s a summary of our top advice:

It bears repeating: Our research indicates that feeling “loved and cared for” by congregants is not just good for the soul but good for clergy health. A new resource offers practical strategies for lay leaders who take seriously the work of honoring “those leaders who work so hard for you.”  (You may even consider reviewing it during your next P/SPRC meeting.) Want to go even deeper? Clergy and lay leaders can further grow their connection to each other through the resource Keeping the Faith: Conversations to Strengthen the Bond Between Pastors and Church Leaders.

Our Collaborative is a partnership between the Duke Clergy Health Initiative (CHI) and Duke Religion and Social Change Lab (RaSCL).

CHI focuses on providing pastors with tools to improve their physical, emotional, and spiritual health, while RaSCL focuses on helping current and future faith leaders adapt to evolving times. Together, we serve those who want to serve well.

Our work is made possible thanks to the generous time of our clergy and seminarian ministry partners and generous funding from The Duke Endowment.