Even before its official year of splintering is completed, United Methodists are carving out a clearer identity for the denomination’s future and a clearer picture is emerging of who has stayed and who has left, about clergy health and the…
What I learned when I invited a friend to church who processes the world differently than me
I love my church. Inviting my friend to join me for Pentecost Sunday and lunch afterward was an easy, uncomplicated act. The service that day was jubilant; our people warmly inviting. There was much shaking of hands and a few…
Charles Marsh has a story to tell of evangelical anxiety
Charles Marsh knows something about evangelical anxiety. He grew up in the middle of it as the son of one of the most prominent pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention. The SBC of Marsh’s childhood was the racially tinged Mississippi…
Young BIPOC have not abandoned religious belief, new study finds
Contrary to popular opinion, young people of color have not abandoned religious belief and in fact are praying, meditating, reading Scripture and building sacred fellowship on their own terms, youth ministry expert Megan DeWald said. This reality escapes or frightens…
An invisible wall: How to support your pastor through mental health challenges
I’ll never forget walking into my annual staff evaluation meeting and encountering a roomful of awkward looks. The head of our church’s personnel committee started the meeting off with, “So, do you feel that your … um … anxiety issues…
Study finds racial and ethnic identity plays a role in mental health of Gen Z
Young Americans of color are slightly more religious and enjoy better mental health than their white Generation Z counterparts, according to a new study by Springtide Research Institute. These findings were quantified in spite of the intense racial prejudice and…
Embrace new ways of relating to mental health and spiritual challenges of Gen Z or risk losing them, researcher urges
Religious leaders must learn to embrace new ways of relating to the mental health and spiritual challenges of young people or risk contributing to their continued alienation from faith institutions, the coordinator of a new national study says. Josh Packard…
If you’re engaged in justice ministry, here are some tips on how to avoid burnout
Those engaged in justice ministry must practice emotional and spiritual self-care or face overwhelming exhaustion and despair, a global justice ministry expert said in a recent webinar titled “Still Trusting the God of Justice.” “Helplessness and hopelessness can set in…
Rural churches: Pay attention to the mental health needs of farm workers
Mercer University researchers have identified a critical pastoral care need for leaders of rural churches: America’s farmers are in a mental health crisis. Across all farmers surveyed in a Georgia sample, 82% reported a moderate level of stress according to…