‘You cannot bear the weight of this calling in your own strength, but only by the grace and power of God. Pray therefore that your heart may daily be enlarged and your understanding of the Scriptures enlightened. Pray earnestly for the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ The Ordinal
Ordained ministry is a great privilege, but it can also be personally costly to clergy. The Bishop of Southwark has committed himself to the well-being of all clergy, recognising the significant demands that ministry places on them.
Many aspects of ministry in today’s world can make it stressful, among them confusion about role, demands of workload, loss of status and the challenge of a rapidly changing context for ministry. Caring for ourselves should not be another thing we need to worry about, but the basis of our obedience to God’s call on us to love our neighbours as ourselves.
Advice on good practice and support is available from the Diocese in various ways, as outlined in the well-being booklet sent to all clergy in autumn 2018, and available to download.
The Church of England lists a number of of other resources to help in this area of well-being. It has also approved a Covenant for Clergy Care and Well-being, along with resources for reflection and action.
