Interpersonal stress in ministry: The lived experiences of female clergy cancer survivors

Abstract

Ministry is a unique vocation that often requires self-sacrifice to meet the needs of others. Navigating interpersonal relationships can be a difficult aspect of ministry, and this challenge is even more pronounced if the clergy is female and battling cancer. This article reports a sub-set of findings from a qualitative study that utilized interpretative phenomenological analysis to uncover the lived experiences of six female clergy cancer survivors. The findings revealed that congregants, and participants’ relationships with congregants, influenced participants’ cancer experience in three key ways. First, participants experienced stress and loneliness based on their own and others’ unrealistic expectations associated with a career in ministry. Second, participants learned to don a figurative mask and to selectively reveal and guard their emotions about cancer and cancer treatment from those they were called to serve. Third, participants’ experience of cancer and their commitment to their calling required both reliance on God and self-care. Implications for career counseling and coaching with clergy in adverse situations are offered.