COVID-19 forced clergy to attend to the needs of their congregations in new ways. But it also encouraged them to look again at how they attended to their own needs. Self-awareness and self-care are often imperative for clergy well-being, which in turn affects the well-being of their congregations. During the pandemic, clergy gained new insight into how they were ‘being’–how they might access internal and external resources that allowed them to thrive not only as pastors but also beyond their professional role.
This book is based on multifaceted surveys of clergy personal responses to the pandemic. It encourages readers to consider the importance of an ethic of clergy well-being. Its practical examples and self-care protocol for clergy are intended to foster discussion within individual contexts. This is an important read for clergy, lay leaders, denominational stewards, and seminary and divinity school students and faculty as they engage in discerning the future needs of leaders of the church.
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Frederick J. Streets is professor of divinity and social work at Yale Divinity School. The editor of Preaching in the New Millenium (2005), he is an ordained minister with over forty years of pastoral and clinical social work experience.
