This Covenant, Calling & Crisis report from January 2023 presents qualitative findings from the third wave of the ten-year Living Ministry research.

It builds on the Wave 3 survey, exploring clergy wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic along with issues of autonomy, accountability and support. Sixty three people took part through individual and group interviews held on Zoom.

A framework analysis based on the categories of spiritual and vocational wellbeing, physical and mental wellbeing, relationships, and participation was used to address wellbeing experiences (financial and material wellbeing was excluded because interviews preceded rises in the cost of living), while autonomy and accountability were explored through the lens of self-determination theory, which defines autonomy as 'acting in line with one’s interests and values'.

A copy of the report can be downloaded here [PDF].