The Duke Clergy Health Initiative

Since 2007, the Duke Clergy Health Initiative has worked to assess and strengthen the health and well-being of United Methodist clergy across the state of North Carolina. The Clergy Health Initiative has collected data in the form of longitudinal surveys, focus groups, interviews, and biometric data and then used that information to develop intervention programs for clergy to improve physical and mental health as well encourage spiritual renewal. The most noteworthy effort of the Clergy Health Initiative to date was the creation and implementation of a multi-year wellness and behavioral intervention program called Spirited Life™.

The Clergy Health Initiative is uniquely placed as a collaborative and interdisciplinary initiative between Duke Divinity School and The Duke Global Health Institute, giving it strong theological underpinning and the excellence of Duke’s research environment. In addition to programs for clergy, the Clergy Health Initiative has developed training for congregations through the Pastor and Parish study and is also available for collaborative work with organizations desiring to develop a program to strengthen the well-being of others.