The Rev. John Edgar, executive director of Community Development for All People in Columbus, Ohio, adds a gallon of milk to a food box packed for one of the hundreds of customers who get food each day from the organization. Photo courtesy of Community Development for All People.

While working 60 hours a week helping to feed the hungry in Columbus, Ohio, the Rev. John Edgar got word that his 98-year-old mother had come down with the coronavirus. 

“I couldn’t see my mother and then she got weaker and really sick,” said Edgar, executive director of Community Development for All People and the pastor emeritus for the United Methodist Church for All People in Columbus, which he founded.

Edgar and his 99-year-old father finally were allowed to see Eleanor Edgar not long before she “breathed her last.”

“I was there with my dad for about eight hours and I had to leave,” he said. “So yeah, it’s a stressful time and there’s some horrible things going on.”

Edgar is one of many United Methodist pastors whose workload and stress level have risen as they guide congregants through not only COVID-19, but also the resulting economic downturn and issues raised by the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Rev. Faith Fowler, executive director of Cass Community Social Services and senior pastor of Cass Community United Methodist Church in Detroit, calls the challenges pastors face “the triple whammy.”

“It’s not one pandemic,” she said. “It’s three. It’s the physical disease; it’s the toll it’s taking on our whole economy; and it’s the question of not only policing, but racism and anti-racism activities.”

Read the entire article here.

Dakotas Conference resources for clergy well-being:
Soul Fill-up: Soul Fill-up is a mid-week time for church leaders to take a breath and to slow down. Let us pour into your soul and refill your cup during guided scripture reading, prayer, and meditation led by the spiritual directors of the Higher Ground program.
Higher Ground: The Dakotas Conference is making an effort to change the overall health of clergy through the newly developed Higher Ground Initiative. This initiative is made possible because of a $925,000 grant received by the Dakotas United Methodist Foundation from the Lilly Endowments Thriving in Ministry program. The Higher Ground Initiative is comprised of two major components— retreats and coaching/mentorship.
Financial well-being: Programs and resources funded in part by the Lilly Endowment’s grant to the Dakotas-Minnesota Area around the national initiative to address “Economic Challenges Facing our Pastoral Leaders”. The holistic approach to address these challenges includes opportunities and grants primarily focused on improving personal financial well-being, but also to strengthen church financial health and grow a culture of generosity.
Clergy total well-being: Health and well-being are closely connected, and improving well-being in one area can have a positive effect on other dimensions. The well-being of those who serve the Church affects the whole Dakotas UMC connection, including family, congregation and community. We want to help you find resources and support to help make positive changes in each of the well-being dimensions. Clergy total well-being is a collection of resources for congregations and church leaders.