The Center for Ministry at Millsaps College is a partnership program between Millsaps College and the Mississippi Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. The Center for Ministry’s mission is to develop Christian leaders through lifelong learning. The Center’s Thriving in Ministry program will support, resource, and empower clergywomen toward thriving during key season of their professional lives. The program will include peer groups, retreats for leadership learning and renewal, mentorship, group and individual coaching.
Why Clergywomen?
Women remain less likely than men to lead the largest churches or to be senior pastors of mid-sized congregations; they are more likely to be associates; and they also receive less on average in compensation. The specific challenges clergywomen in leadership face are particularly concerning because they include a lack of opportunity for authenticity and membership in the larger clergy community, struggles in their relationships with significant others, challenges in attending to personal care and renewal, and difficulty in identifying role models and mentors, all of which the Flourishing in Ministry study (Notre Dame) identifies as extremely important for cultivating pastoral well-being. This makes the challenges women face as they prepare for or transition into leadership all the more urgent, and all the more important, to address.
The program is structured in 15-month cohorts, each of which will include two to three peer groups of eight to twelve people. Each activity in the program builds specifically on research around pastoral well-being, especially that put forth by the Flourishing in Ministry Project and the Duke Clergy Health Initiative.
The program will include the following components for each cohort:
Diverse peer groups: We will support designed clergy peer groups for clergywomen who are serving in pastoral ministry. The Center for Ministry’s program will resource these groups to meet regularly, in person or virtually, over the 15 month cohort period, to pursue wellbeing and thriving. Grant funding will be used to resource the group to participate in at least one retreat or conference of their choosing together, in addition to one retreat planned and facilitated through the Center for Ministry. These peer groups will create an opportunity for pastors to nurture strong, positive relationships with other pastors, which are key to pastoral thriving. The composition of groups will also include experienced clergywomen already effectively serving in ministry settings. These more experienced clergywomen will gain the opportunity to cultivate their own lifelong learning, to receive continuing education credit, to spend time away on retreat and education, and resources to nurture their own thriving. They will also gain the rewarding experience of sharing their insight and wisdom with the less experienced members of their peer group.
Large-group retreats: In addition to peer group learning sessions, the Center’s Thriving in Ministry programming includes one retreat attended by all peer group members at the beginning of their 15 months together. These retreats ensure that participants will encounter important role models and mentors beyond the composition of their own peer group. These role models and mentors will be experienced pastors, scholars, coaches, or consultants brought in as facilitators, preachers, teachers, panelists, and guest participants. These retreats are also where peer group members will connect with a larger body of clergy, expanding the sense of belongingness, and the opportunities to develop authentic friendships across both geographic and experiential lines. Finally, the retreat will include education and opportunities for reflection around personal and communal well-being.
Congregational training: We will provide congregational education and training through the 360-evaluation tools. Each clergywoman will be required to form a 4-6 member wellbeing team for support and culture change in their ministry setting. Clergy face challenges not just from within themselves, but also from the larger systems in which they participate. This is why it is of key importance to educate and support not just clergywomen, but also the congregations and settings in which they serve. Educating and training churches on human well-being, on the importance of pastoral well-being for effective pastoral leadership, and on best practices for supporting pastors and their families will increase the congregational impact of the mentoring, learning, and wellness formation clergywomen receive while program participants.
Coaching: During the 15-month participation period, we will provide clergywomen with eight 90 minute peer group coaching sessions. Each participant will also receive 5 individual coaching calls. This coach approach is part of The Art of Well Being Coaching Course which invites clergy leaders to commit to simple, practical ways to cultivate positive energy, resilience, and creativity for adaptive and innovative leadership. This will support continued growth and learning, as well as the continuation of disciplines developed through participation in the Thriving in Ministry program.
