Well-being - extract from a paper I wrote over the summer...

Ministers Well-being: An introductory discussion paper compiled from various sources

Introduction

In 1778, John Wesley wrote in a letter to Alexander Knox: “It will be a double blessing if you give yourself up to the Great Physician, that He may heal soul and body together. And unquestionably this is His design. He wants to give you … both inward and outward health” (Knox, 1837, pg 12). Wesley’s statement captures the desire God has for each person to reconcile with the best of themselves and the world around them. He is talking about human well-being, which is a process and not an end in itself.

The Well-being section of the Methodist church intranet site is for the connexional team. There a key sentence acknowledges that "we recognise that for ministers the boundaries between ‘work’ and other parts of life often merge." This fuzzy boundary makes well-being provision for ministers complex. 
 

In the secular world well-being is a live issue. The Guardian on Friday 15^th July 2011 had an article on happiness at work. People are not just motivated by money. The top motivator is "respect" – how valued and trusted by their organisation employees feel. Then comes (in order of priority) "type of work", "providing good service to customers", "the people you work with" and finally, good "work-life balance". It suggested five ways to make workplaces happier environments. First, we need managers with better social and interpersonal skills, who manage people by praise and reward and not fault-finding (because few managers do this, a pay rise is often the only time people feel their contribution is recognised). Second, individuals should have autonomy and control over their work – the absence of micro-management. Third, there needs to be a shorter working hours culture, where appropriate flexible working arrangements are available which people can take up without damaging their careers or feeling guilty. Fourth, there should be manageable workloads and achievable deadlines, and finally, a culture should be encouraged in which employees feel valued and trusted. This shows the difficulty of applying secular studies directly to ministers who don't have managers but do have incredible autonomy!

Why Ministerial Wellbeing?

Healthy ministers make for healthy churches. Unfortunately, unhealthy work patterns practiced by clergy in congregations have resulted in burnout, if not actual physical, spiritual, emotional and psychological break-downs. A holistic understanding of work is crucial if we want to develop healthy expectations and work standards for all ministers in circuit appointments.

Many things contribute to well-being, some of which are in the control of the individual and some are in the control of the church. ADR can help the minister and the church make changes to those things within the control of the church but could also make suggestions about those things that are within the personal control of the minister. Ultimately though a person is responsible for their own wellbeing outside work and to a great extent at work also.

Well-being can be split down into: emotional, spiritual, social and financial well-being.

1. Emotional well-being encompasses mood, self-efficacy, self-image, etc.,― essentially one’s viewpoint and confidence in oneself.

2. Spiritual well-being centers on the relationship with God and the activities that support and enhance this relationship such as prayer, meditation, worship, etc.

3. Social well-being considers the relationships within a person’s life including support from friends and family.

4. Financial well-being considers how well one is managing the business of living as well as preparing for retirement. While financial well-being is not often an element included in models of health, it is often a source of stress which can have major effects on multiple dimensions of health.

Each one of these components, when in their optimal state, helps to ensure the overall well-being and effectiveness of the human being. When one or more are impaired, the overall health and vitality of the individual suffers and their ability to thrive is diminished. In the case of a minister, this impairs their ability to answer the call to serve God and their community.