“How can we help our clergy to be the best version of themselves, even in times of stress and distress?” This question is posed by Diane Owen, who has served as the Lilly Grant program director for the  Dakotas-Minnesota Area, and is transitioning to a new role as director of clergy well-being. 

The Area Director of Clergy Well-Being is a newly created position focusing on supporting and resourcing clergy in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota around the five areas of well-being—emotional, financial, physical, spiritual, and social.  

“I have always been passionate about total well-being, said Owen. “The dimensions of well-being affect each other and cannot be isolated. I have been acutely aware that many of our clergy often compromise or neglect their well-being due to their single-minded focus on their ministry calling.” 

Owen has been serving as the Program Director for a Lilly grant to help pastors develop stronger financial literacy skills, reduce or eliminate personal debt, and become equipped to foster a theology of generosity within their congregations. She is a certified health coach who seeks to support pastors to become healthy leaders in their ministry. 

“I want to discover and move forward the ways in which we can support and resource our clergy so that they can serve faithfully and fully as whole and healthy expressions of God’s love in ministry for others” Owen said. 

Rev. Rebecca Trefz, who serves as the district superintendent for the Southeast District and the Director of Ministries for the Dakotas Conference, sees the need to support clergy well-being.

“Being an effective leader isn’t just about technical skills. It’s also about the well-being of the whole person,” said Trefz. “The Area Director of Clergy Well-Being will provide support, connection, and resources for clergy to be healthy leaders—leaders who are working to model holistic discipleship for the staff and members of the ministry communities they serve. In doing so, we believe pastors will feel more renewed and equipped to lead their congregations into the future.”

The position will bring together two grants, funded by the Lilly Endowment. The role will provide continuing oversight to the Area Lilly grant: Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders. The steering team will continue to provide strategic guidance. Implementation of key strategies will be continued by engaging additional stakeholders and creating implementation teams for redesign of existing strategies and new designs for strategies targeted in Phase 3.

Owen will be the staff lead for the Higher Ground Initiative, a Lilly grant in the Dakotas, making an effort to change the overall health of clergy. She plans to work with the steering team in the on-going evaluation and design of the program with primary responsibility for the clergy coaching connections including increase the cadre of effective coaches. 

Diane Owen, Area Director of Clergy Well-Being. Photo by Jlynnstudios.

Another role of the position is to align clergy well-being initiatives across the Area working closely with the Higher Ground advisory team, the Cabinets, the Board of Pensions, the Foundations, Annual Conference staff, and of course, clergy and church leaders including the Staff Parish Relations Committee. 

The position is best described as a coordinated effort aligned around common vision and strategies that seemed to be missing.

“We have tremendous, passionate people and teams who have been working on similar objectives but our efforts weren’t always aligned and coordinated,” said Trefz. “Diane’s gifts for developing relationships and gathering groups together for collaboration and maximization of resources will be a tremendous asset to improving the effectiveness of our collective vision.” 

Bringing together various teams and groups and listening are some of the first steps Owen will take in her new role.  

“There are many opportunities for clergy to improve their well-being, but there are also gaps to close in response to expressed needs and identified struggles to be whole and healthy,” she said. “I want to ensure that each clergy person can access the opportunities and resources provided without discomfort or distrust, or because they are simply unaware. I want to listen deeply to our clergy to ensure the best possible response is available to assist them.”

Access resources for clergy financial well-being here. 

Access resources for clergy well-being here.