GCSRW Summit Report
In 2014, GCSRW convened a research summit to identify the ways that unique struggles and stresses that clergy family experience, best practices for supporting clergy families, and to seek recommendations for how to better provide a denominational culture and resources for the spouses and children of United Methodist Clergy.
That summit identified recommendations for improved support and behaviors at multiple levels of the denomination, including annual conferences, districts, local church staff parish relations committees and an online resource and networking hub to be sponsored by the GCSRW. Read the summit report
Featured Resources
Healthy Families Webinar Series
Learn more about practices that contribute to healthy family dynamics. This webinar series includes topics to nurture and strengthen families in areas including physical, emotional, spiritual, social and financial well-being.
Clergy Parsonage Standards Handbook
At the request of clergy, clergy spouses and local churches, GCSRW developed this handbook containing suggested guidelines for church-owned clergy housing, sample agreement forms and checklists. Local SPRC can use the handbook to develop their own guidelines... View the PDF
13 Factors That Influence Clergy Heath
A short workbook to identify areas of potential stress or support in a clergy person’s life. This powerful resources can help clergy and lay leaders identify new strategies for strengthening clergy leadership and churches. View the PDF
50 Ways to Support Your Pastor's Health and Well-Being
These suggestions for the Pastor/Staff Parish Relations Committee and the congregation will help them support their pastor’s health and well-being in all dimensions: physical, emotional, spiritual, social and financial... View the PDF
FOCUS Clergy Transition Toolkit
An Episcopalian resource for local congregations to discuss support of the clergy person during moves. View the PDF
50 Ways to Welcome Your New Pastor
Helpful tips from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership on hospitality and support for incoming pastors. View and download the PDF guide.
UM Discipleship Ministries Archive of Webinars
GBOD offers webinars on a monthly basis. The webinars are offered “live”, then the recording of each webinar is provided through the GBOD website. View all archived webinars.
Life in the Fish Bowl: Everyday Challenges of Pastors and Their Families
Written with humor and understanding, this is a good resource for pastor parish committees and for pastors and their families. Get the book on Amazon
What Clergy Spouses Want the UMC to Know
A report from the General Agency study “Clergy Spouses and Families In The United Methodist Church 2009: Part II: Local Church Expectations”. A helpful overview of contemporary experiences, stressors and blessings experienced by the spouses of UMC Clergy. View the PDF
Report and Recommendations, Clergy Family Care Summit 2014
The report and conclusions of this prayerful and productive gathering of the Clergy Family Care task force is useful to share with local district and conference leadership for guidance in improving the care of clergypersons and their families. View the PDF
Clergy Health Survey Report
Wespath Benefits and Investments conducts this survey of UMC active U.S. clergy in order to continue to provide comparative data for Center for Health clergy health research. This research is intended to help the denomination learn more about the health and well-being of its clergy. View the PDF
Curriculum
Women Called to Ministry
This six-session study explores our understanding of women's roles in The United Methodist Church. Why are women ordained? Why are they included in all areas of leadership? How did we arrive at those understandings? Full participation of women in the church is a dimension of the nature and function of the church—it claims who we are—and we are more trustworthy in the Gospel of Jesus Christ as we continue to recognize our courageous past and move boldly into the future.
Study guides, leader's guides and supplemental materials are available for download in PDF format in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese: https://gcsrw.org/WC2M.aspx
Rock, Shepherd, Friend
A four-session study designed to help Christians look at the way we talk about God and examine the images we hold of God. It is designed primarily for use by local congregations. It may be downloaded or copied. Download the PDF
Worship & Liturgical Resources
For Introducing and Planning Expansive Language Worship
Useful Biblical Resources: Commentaries, Translations and Lectionary
- Women’s Bible Commentary: Reviews and Updated, 3rd Edition edited by Carol Newsom, Sharon Ringe, and Jacqueline Lapsley (Westminster John Knox Press, 2012)
- The New Testament and Psalms: An Inclusive Version(New York: Oxford University Press, 1995)
- Inclusive Language Lectionary, Years A (1983), B (1984), C (1985), (New York: National Council of Churches)
- Inclusive Language Psalms(Pilgrim Press, 1987)
- The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Translation(Priests for Equality, 2007)
- The People’s Bibleedited by Deyong, Glafney, et. al. (Fortress, 2008)
Introductions to Non-Sexist Language
(Includes Historical and Theological Examinations)
- On the Divine Names and the Mystical Theology byPseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite
- The Power to Speak: Feminism, Language, Godby Rebecca S. Chopp (Wipf & Stock 2002)
- Finding Words for Worship by Ruth Duck (Westminster John Knox Press, 1995)
- Feminist Mysticism and Images of God: A Practical Theology by Jennie S. Knight (Chalice, 2011)
- Metaphorical Theologyby Sallie McFague (Fortress, 1982)
- The Divine Feminine: The Biblical Imagery of God as Femaleby Virginia Ramey Mollenkott (Crossroad, 1983)
- Sexism and God-Talkby Rosemary Radford Ruether (Beacon, 1993)
- In Whose Image?: God and Genderby Jann Aldredge-Clanton (Crossroads, 2001)
- The Divine Feminine: The Biblical Imagery of God as Femaleby Virginia Ramey Mollenkott (Crossroad, 1984)
- Language and the Churchedited by Barbara Withers (National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., 1984)
- Women and Worship: A Guide to Nonsexist Hymns, Prayers, and Liturgies by Sharon and Thomas Neufer Emswiler (Harper & Row, 1984)
- What Language Shall I Borrow? by Brian Wren (Crossroads, 1989)
- More Than Words: Prayer and Ritual for Inclusive Communities by Janet Schaffron and Pat Kozak (Meyer Stone Books, 1988)
Women's History Month
Women's History Month 2018-2020
Starting in 2018, GCSRW shifted from creating liturgical resources for worship to highlighting the real experiences of different women across the connection. In 2018, we uplifted the voices of laywomen in our denomination, including all the laywomen general secretaries. In 2019, we celebrated the diverse and unique ministries of women deacons in The United Methodist Church. To mark the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, we worked with Rev. Dr. Susan Lyn Moudry to create an article about all of the Methodist-affiliated women who worked tirelessly to pass the 19th Amendment. All of these blogs can be found in this archive: Women's History Month Blogs