The well-being of our clergy and their families is important to the Diocese of Bristol. Flourishing clergy and flourishing clergy family life is vital to the flourishing of the Church.
We realise that for clergy and their families, serving the Church can be difficult and demanding at times, and we are committed to help our clergy find ways to effectively resource their own lives and ministries, so that that they are energised and empowered, knowing for themselves Life in all its fullness.
Clergy well-being encourages the promotion of health and wholeness of the clergy. Diocese, clergy and congregations all share in this responsibility:
The Diocese in offering the appropriate personal and ministerial support and professional development for clergy in their contexts.
Clergy in taking personal responsibility for their own well-being and being aware of the well-being needs of their families and colleagues.
Congregations in being aware of the well-being needs of clergy and their families and in understanding the impact of well-being on them.
We have a number of resources to help you and your family to cope. Please contact the Adviser for Clergy Wellbeing.
We encourage our clergy to set up and regularly review their own portfolio of support and care, to help them build godly resilience to sustain them through the challenges and changes of ministry life. We recommend that particular care and thought is given to ways in which clergy maintain their own spiritual well-being and growth.
There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to clergy care and resilience, and we encourage you to think about your own personality, context and needs.
If you would like help to begin this process, please contact the the Adviser for Clergy Wellbeing.