EAUK Press Releases – <http://www.eauk.org/press>

Strictly embargoed until: 0001Hrs, Monday 25th September 2000 New network aims to minister to ministers

Clergy and other Christian leaders are to be offered health checks, discounted holidays, retreats, training and counselling by a new network that has been set up by the Evangelical Alliance in response to the publication today of a survey of church leaders by CWR / Waverley Christian Counselling and the University of Wales, Bangor.

The Care for Pastors Network is a new Evangelical Alliance initiative bringing together organisations that support people in Christian ministry. The Network is an interdenominational, multi-agency forum that aims to provide better care, support and resources for church leaders. The network is not an organisation, but a collection of concerned groups working in co-operation

John Smith, UK director of the Evangelical Alliance, said it was important for church leaders to receive support. “The fact that 53 per cent of church leaders have considered leaving the ministry is a signal that something must be done to support church leaders. These results confirm our understanding that many church leaders feel undervalued or taken for granted. Church leaders offer support at a time of bereavement or tragedy and help through difficulties of marriage and family life. At times of unemployment, distress or loneliness, or when celebrating the birth of a child or a marriage, church leaders are expected to be there for us. This is a mere fraction of what their calling entails. But who is available for them? Who pastors the pastors or ministers to the ministers?”

The network brings together a range of organisations with resources to help clergy cope with the day to day frustrations of church leadership. In addition to providing easy access to resources, the network aims to provide an on-line networking facility, to enable church leaders greater opportunity to talk with other church leaders.

The network will also provide an opportunity for service providers, including theological colleges to discuss best practice and ensure that church leaders are adequately prepared for their work in the Church.

John Smith said: “Pre-ordination training needs to encompass practical management skills that represent such an increasing proportion of a church leader’s working life.

Greater consideration should be given to the quantity and nature of on-going post-ordination training, especially seeking to create greater relevance to the real workloads of church leaders and their perceived areas of stress.

The Care for Pastors Network will be launched at a one-day conference in London today (25th September) organised by CWR / Waverley Christian Counselling in association with the Evangelical Alliance. At the conference, those working to support church leaders will be given full details of the survey results. In addition to the Network, the conference will see the launch of Connecting, CWR’s new Web-based journal dedicated to the issues of contemporary leadership.

Speakers at the conference include: Rev Selwyn Hughes, founder director of CWR; Rev John Smith, UK director of the Evangelical Alliance; Rev Professor Leslie Francis, professor of Practical Theology in the Centre for Ministry Studies, University of Wales, Bangor; Rev Dr William Kay, University of Wales; Sean Gubb, general manager of Ministry at CWR; and Rev Colin Buckland, director of the Claybury Trust and chairman of the Care for Pastors steering group.

ENDS

NOTES: The survey, Pastoral Care Today was commissioned by CWR / Waverley Christian Counselling in association with the Evangelical Alliance and conducted by the Centre for Ministry Studies, University of Wales, Bangor. The survey results are based on the first 754 replies to 2,570 survey forms sent out to clergy and pastors associated with the Evangelical Alliance. Of those that replied the majority were from Baptist leaders (28 per cent); Anglican (21 per cent) and New Churches (20 per cent). Copies of the survey results and a detailed press release are available from the Evangelical Alliance press office.

For further information, contact: or http://www.eauk.org/careforpastors <http://www.eauk.org/careforpastors>