Center for Health

The Center for Health is a denominational focus on improving the health of active and retired clergy, and lay workers across The United Methodist Church. Our goal is to be a resource of helpful information that encourages healthy living.

The roots of health consciousness are deep within our Wesleyan tradition. John Wesley was well ahead of his time by recognizing and linking health, healing and the theological understanding of “a good creation.”

We each share a God-given stewardship responsibility for the health of our own body and soul, and by extension, the health of others in our ministry. There is a relationship between a vocation in ministry and the notion of health as wholeness in mission. Essentially, you cannot have one without the other.

The Center for Health promotes wellness and education to improve health in all its dimensions—physical, emotional, spiritual, social and financial. The mission and ministry of the Center for Health:

• supports the health of the workers of the Church as witnesses in society,
• acts in full connection to strengthen the health of the denomination, and
• encourages individual stewardship of mind, body and spirit, through the practice of spiritual and health disciplines.

View the complete Center for Health brochure (PDF, 1.2 MB).

Multi-Phase Research Update: December 1, 2009

The Center for Health’s Church Systems Task Force (CSTF) under chairperson, Bishop Hope Morgan Ward, has prepared an update of CSTF research activities over the past eight months. The release describes the multi-phased research approach and preliminary findings about the factors identified that have significant impact on clergy health. The CSTF was charged by General Conference 08 and continues its investigation of Church systems’ impact on clergy health and well-being.

View the CSTF update (PDF, 143K).

In the News

The CSTF and the Virgin HealthMiles (VHM) walking program are featured in an article on the General Board of Higher Education & Ministry Web site. Click here to read the article.

Share Your Thoughts

Feedback is important! We invite you to share stories and suggest story ideas that will help make this Web site a valuable one for all in the denomination. E-mail us—tell us what you think about our programs and offer your suggestions for new Web site content.

Questions, comments and suggestions—please e-mail us at umc-centerforhealthinfo@gbop.org.