Last week I was part of organizing a health fair for clergy. An ecumenical counseling center on whose board I served sponsored the event. The idea was to invite clergy from the surrounding area to a health fair focused on the stresses and strains of the life of clergy. It cost $10 and that would include a nutritious meal as well as presenters in 7 areas that addressed clergy health.
I think the plan was good. We had a nutritionist interpret healthy eating during the lunch. Then we had two seminars at a time, which would repeat so that everyone could attend all of them. We covered the areas of physical, emotional, and spiritual health. We also examined the stress on families, financial health, and vocational health. We also offered people a health screening for an additional $10 if they desired.
We sent out emails to all the clergy in the area. I would guess that we had addresses for 200-250 clergy. We sent it out several months before the event and then repeated it a couple of times as the event approached. About 30 clergy actually registered and at least 10 of them failed to show up. Needless to say, I was frustrated.
What it raises for me is how we overcome the resistance of clergy to addressing their own needs. Repeated studies in various denominations report the health crisis among clergy. Yet, for a clergy person to put a priority on maintaining their own health is difficult. The incessant demands placed on their lives doesn’t make space for taking time for their own health. For the sake of our churches and for our clergy, we need to address this.
