Public People, Private Lives Tackling Stress in Clergy Families

by Burton, Jean; Burton, Chris; Atkins, Anne

• ISBN13: 9780826426123
• ISBN10: 0826426123
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-05-15
• Publisher: Mowbray

Summary

Tackles an area of enormous importance for the Church: the stresses of clerical family life.

Author Biography

Jean Burton worked as PA to a diplomat and the Editor of the Sunday Times before becoming a diocesan social worker with a brief which included counselling clergy and their families. Her private practice as a systemic family therapist has specialised in issues of work/family stress, whilst her membership (in two dioceses, for twenty years) of the bishop's committee for the care of clergy families underlined the hidden stresses faced by all family members. Chris Burton was a Chartered Accountant before being ordained. He served in diverse parishes in Southwark, York and Birmingham before becoming Team Rector of a large ecumenical parish in Harlow. Three years of training in family therapy enhanced his work with families.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. xi
Preface by Professor Phyllida Parsloe	p. xiii
Foreword by Anne Atkins	p. xv
Authors' Note	p. xxi
Setting the Scene	p. 1
Introduction	p. 3
The Background	p. 3
The Overall Dilemma	p. 5
The Family Issues	p. 5
The Structures of the Church of England	p. 8
Church Structures	p. 8
Professional Support Systems	p. 16
Financial Support	p. 16
Professional and Spiritual Support and Pastoral Care	p. 18
Reflections on the Structures of the Church and Support Systems	p. 19
Background, Methodology and Family Stress	p. 21
Background Perspectives	p. 23
Wider Perspectives on Professional Stress	p. 23
Exploring Issues for Clergy Families in the United States	p. 28
Clergy Children	p. 30
Reflections	p. 32
Stress in a Family Setting	p. 34
The Context of Family Stress and the impact of Life Stages	p. 34
The ABCX Model	p. 35
The Double ABCX Model	p. 36
Reflections	p. 37
Setting up the Research	p. 39
Finding the Families	p. 39
The Reference Groups	p. 40
Research Methodology	p. 41
Reflections	p. 44
The Curacy Stage: The First Family Interviews	p. 47
Moves, Accommodation and Education	p. 49
The First Interviews	p. 49
Moves	p. 50
Accommodation	p. 53
Education	p. 57
Reflections	p. 61
The Public View of Curates	p. 63
Finding a Curacy	p. 63
Pressure to Conform	p. 68
Loss of Personal Identity	p. 70
Courtship and Marriage	p. 73
Days Off or Time Away from Daily Work	p. 75
Expectations	p. 76
Reflections	p. 77
The Cost	p. 79
Finance	p. 79
Health	p. 82
The Curates' View of the Job	p. 83
Reflections	p. 76
Reflections on Issues at the Curacy Stage	p. 89
Dilemmas	p. 89
Reflections on the First Reference Group Meetings	p. 91
A Pause for Thought	p. 97
The Double Bind and the Accommodation Syndrome	p. 99
The Double Bind	p. 99
The Accommodation Syndrome	p. 103
Reflections	p. 108
Yardsticks for Independence	p. 110
Independence	p. 110
A Secure Base and Empowerment	p. 113
The Doughnut Principle	p. 116
Expectations - People before the Public	p. 117
Reflections	p. 118
The Incumbency Stage	p. 121
Moves and Education	p. 123
The Second Interviews	p. 123
The Pay-Offs	p. 124
Moves	p. 126
Education	p. 133
Finance and the Public Role	p. 137
Finance	p. 137
The Public Role	p. 143
The Clergy View of the Job and its Impact on the Family; and Days Off	p. 150
The Job and the Family	p. 150
Days Off	p. 159
The Reference Groups' Comments on Idealism, Intrusion and Isolation	p. 163
Conflict and Health	p. 168
Conflict	p. 168
The Reference Groups' Response on Motivation and Denial, and Reflections	p. 177
Health	p. 181
The Third Interviews	p. 187
The Third Interviews	p. 187
Summary to the Reference Groups	p. 190
Responses and Conclusions	p. 193
The Response of the Groups	p. 195
The Pastoral Group's Response	p. 195
The Leadership Group's Response	p. 196
Reflections on the Groups' Responses	p. 202
Reflections and Dilemmas	p. 206
Introduction	p. 206
The 'Storyline' or The Unifying Theme of the Research	p. 209
Dilemmas	p. 211
Recommendations	p. 217
Addressing the Dilemma	p. 217
A Final Reflection for the Whole Church	p. 224
Resources for Clergy Families	p. 226
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