Clergy Support Trust is committed to the wellbeing of Anglican clergy and their families. In addition to supporting clergy wellbeing through grants and services, we also look preventatively at ways of dealing with issues before they arise.
We promote research which examines and addresses the underlying issues which affect clergy wellbeing and that of their households. We also consider a very limited number of applications for research funding which fits our current strategy.
New research
Clergy Support Trust are funding three Research Studentships with the University of Chester, as we seek to learn more about the unique experiences of children from clergy families.
Each study will focus on a particular age group, will take qualitative or mixed methods approaches, and will lead to suggestions for the development of pastoral care for the future for clergy children.
The three studentships are:
- Exploring primary age children's experiences of being clergy children
- Exploring young people's experiences of being clergy children
- Exploring young adult clergy children's experiences
Prof Lisa Oakley & Prof Moira Lafferty will supervise each of these studies. As part of the funded MRes, students will present their findings to the Clergy Support Trust, and contribute to a peer-reviewed journal article, in addition to contributing to a PDF with key findings which can be freely shared.
Research grants
Priority areas of focus
Particular priority will be given to research projects which identify and seek to address the challenges of ordained Anglican ministry (in the UK and Ireland) in the following areas:
- Financial wellbeing and financial education/resilience
- Mental health
- Family and other relationships
Criteria
- Research proposals should have full ethical approval and have the potential of making a demonstrable impact (particularly through scalability) on the wellbeing of Anglican clergy and their families (ie what is the ‘Theory of Change’?).
- We are particularly interested in research projects which lead or point to tangible, measurable outcomes for clergy, or practical resources to support clergy wellbeing.
- Research costs must be set out in detail, with alternative sources of funding (if any) disclosed.
- Applications should include a proposed funding timetable.
- Clergy Support Trust will not normally give research grants of more than £7,500.
- Clergy Support Trust should be acknowledged as a research funder and should have full rights over research results.
Other research
Global Majority Heritage Clergy
Independent research into the wellbeing of UKME/Global Majority Heritage clergy, commissioned as part of a 10-year programme into how clergy can flourish in ministry, has now been published.
A team led Dr Selina Stone, a post-doctoral research associate at Durham University, interviewed 18 clergy at all stages of ministry, from a range of ethnic groups.
The findings of the qualitative research, funded by Clergy Support Trust, informed the Church of England's Living Ministry project, which looks into how clergy can flourish in ministry.
Wellbeing of disabled clergy
We have finalised the tender documents for our co-commissioned research into the wellbeing of disabled clergy, and we are now appointing our research team.
This is part of our continued commitment to achieving the goals set out in our five-year strategy, including that we will reinvigorate our approach to research by commissioning and curating work to improve outcomes for those who serve.
More information on this project will be shared on this page as it is announced.