November 2020 Resource
Title:
Flourishing in Ministry: How to Cultivate Clergy Wellbeing
Author:
Matt Bloom
Publisher:
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Lanham, MD
Book Review By:
Melvin Amerson
Premise of the book:
Clergy can effectively minister and flourish when intentional structures and practices are provided for professional and personal wellbeing.
What this book does:
Flourishing in Ministry is an excellent resource for clergy, laity, congregations, and denominational leaders who want to clergy and congregations to thrive. Dr. Matt Bloom, author and professor, conducted extensive research through the Flourishing in Ministry project with over 300 pastors from different denominations, church sizes, geographic locations, and genders. His research centers on the following three questions:
- “What are the signature characteristics of wellbeing for clergy?”
- “What factors and conditions foster flourishing, and what factors and conditions impede or diminish it?”
- “How does the wellbeing of clergy and their families change over a life span?”
Contents:
Introduction
Daily Wellbeing
Resilience
Authenticity
Thriving
Pathways
Living a Calling and Becoming
Social Support
The “Stages” of Ministry
A Way Forward
References
What are some important insights:
The author provides excellent insights into clergy burnout and wellbeing. Clergy flourish when they experience daily wellbeing, resilience, self-integrity, and thriving. Also, values alignment matters because, values, beliefs, and moral convictions are an essential part of a pastor’s identity.
Possibilities as a resource for churches:
This is a much needed resource for clergy, lay leadership and denomination leaders who want to provide pastors with opportunities to flourish in ministry.
Rev. Melvin Amerson is a member of the Texas Annual Conference and serves as a Resource Specialist/Area Representative at TMF. His experience and passion lie in encouraging and developing generous, faithful leaders and congregations.
Melvin is the author of Celebrating the Offering, Fruit for Celebrating the Offering and Stewardship in African American Churches: A New Paradigm, as well as several articles covering topics from generosity, leadership and visioning. Currently, he serves as a board member of the Ecumenical Stewardship Center and is a nationally-recognized generosity consultant known for his engaging presentations.
Melvin obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi, a Master of Divinity degree concentrating in Christian education from Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia, an Executive Leadership certificate from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and a certificate in Professional Fundraising from Boston University.