Clergy resilience is about the ability to bounce back from adversity. Margaret Clarke has just completed her Ph.D. focusing on a research study conducted this past year on clergy resilience.
The themes for the study revolved around workload, expectations, and isolation. The primary idea in clergy resilience focused on balancing the dynamic tension of clergy life. This global meaning system includes such things as calling, theological meaning in the situations of ministry.
Size of congregation did not seem to make a difference in how well clergy were able to bounce back from adversity. In personal interviews, Margaret was able to nuance some differences in both the size of congregation and the rural/urban context.
One of the big resources that was identified was peer support. Spousal support, denominational/larger group support also contributed. Boundaries around work were important along with work and life balance. Mentoring will strengthen the cords of resilience. Clergy must live as whole beings – caring for more than the “other” that they are called to serve, but also caring for themselves.
The book that Margaret referenced most was Mark A. Searby’s The Resilient Pastor. Other resources mentioned were Focus on the Family clergy support and Fairhaven’s ministry in British Columbia. Margaret is also open to discussion and can be contacted at mclarke@briercrest.ca. The dissertation will be available on a dissertation database and the hope is to publish articles and possibly a book to further explain these findings.