Women in Ministry (WIM) is an ecumenical network of denominational leaders. WIM was started in 1974 by the Professional Church Leadership (PCL) committee of the National Council of the Churches of Christ (NCCC) and now is independently affiliated with the National Council. WIM exists to link women in professional ministry from many denominations for networking, mutual support, sharing resources and joint project development to promote the full participation of women in the life and leadership of the Church.
In October 2002, WIM organized a pilot conference called “Women in Ministry: Birthing a New Vision of Health, Wellness, and Identity.” The conference in Santa Fe brought a diverse group of 40 women from 11 denominations together for a retreat focused on ministerial wellness for sustained, effective ministry. The concept for the retreat was developed by a team of WIM members and consultants, including staff from the Office for Ministry Development of the Episcopal Church Center.
A team of professionals with expertise in medicine, psychology and ministry guided the group through the three-day retreat which emphasized health education, self-assessment and creation of individual prescriptions as part of a renewed commitment to wellness. Participants were offered hard data on women’s health and particularly the health of women clergy. This data along with personal experience provided a basis for reflection. Each session purposefully considered the interconnectedness of body, mind and spirit. The women were empowered through information about, e.g., the nature of vicarious traumatization, techniques for stress reduction, components of self-care and spiritual nurture, and a good dose of encouragement and gratefulness for the rich and unique ministries of women. Well-designed and culturally sensitive daily worship and preaching were essential aspects of the retreat.
WIM believes that the 2002 consultation constitutes a model worth replicating. The group’s leadership will be seeking grant funding in order to share this model more widely in the ecumenical ministerial community.
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