Published Research

Abstracts and citations for the papers listed below are available by clicking on the title. Journal subscriptions may be required to access the full paper on the journal's website; however, we offer our own PDF versions where permitted by the publisher.  For more information, please contact our research director, Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, Ph.D.

Journal of Religion and Health - February 2013
Closeness to God Among Those Doing God’s Work: A Spiritual Well-Being Measure for Clergy

Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review - November 2012
Overcoming the Challenges of Pastoral Work? Peer Support Groups and Psychological Distress among United Methodist Church Clergy

Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community - June 2012
Tailoring health programming to clergy: findings from a study of United Methodist clergy in North Carolina

Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review - June 2011
Are rural clergy worse off?: an examination of occupational conditions and pastoral experiences in a sample of United Methodist clergy 

Pastoral Psychology - June 2011
Health programming for clergy: An overview of Protestant programs

Quality of Life Research – December 2010
Explaining rural/non-rural disparities in physical health-related quality of life:  A study of United Methodist clergy in North Carolina

Journal of Religion and Health – July 2010
Physical Health Functioning Among United Methodist Clergy

Obesity (Journal of the Obesity Society) – May 2010
High Rates of Obesity and Chronic Disease Among United Methodist Clergy

Journal of Religion and Health – April 2009
A Theoretical Model of the Holistic Health of United Methodist Pastors