CLERGY Spouses
There is a Welcome Letter for a Clergy Spouse. There is also a Clergy Spouses Data Consent Form to fill in and return if you would like to join the spouse mailing list.
Pastoral Care
To access pastoral care for spouses please contact Sarah Patten, the diocesan Principal for Wellbeing and Ministerial Development: sarah.patten@southwell.anglican.org
Counselling
The diocese supports up to 8 sessions of free counselling for clergy spouses. You can self-refer and the service is completely confidential. Our recommended diocesan counsellor is Amanda Thomas, please call 07711 059 435 to book, or you can book with Relate through the EMCOS system, where counsellors have been given training to help them understand the life of clergy and their families. Relate offer support with
any relationships not only marriage relationships. You can book with them (please mention EMCOS) on 0115 958 4278. If longer than 8 sessions is needed then it can sometimes be extended please contact sarah.patten@southwell.anglican.org for counselling enquiries.
The Sheldon Hub
The Sheldon hub is a place for people in ministry to discuss issues, and these can be done by posting anonymously. There are also various special support groups for people facing CDM issues in ministry etc. You can sign up here: Sheldon Hub – Home Page
Clergy Support Trust
Clergy Support Trust can provide financial assistance to clergy and families experiencing financial difficulties or hardship. You can apply annually for two emergency grants of up to £500 each, plus a more substantial grant for financial support, and a grant for wellbeing support (holidays/wellbeing initiatives) included in this can also be retraining for spouses. It is means tested and the rough guideline is either a home owner with less than £16,000 in the bank or a non-home owner with under £200,000 in the bank. Beth Cater can offer support for the application process. You can apply directly online or contact them: 0800 389 5192/help@clergysupport.org.uk. The emergency grants are relatively straight forward, with a longer process being required for the more substantial grants. You can find further details here at Clergy Support Trust. They even have support for people with sleeping difficulties.
St Luke’s for Clergy
St Luke’s are a charity proving mental health support for clergy and families. Details here: Help for individuals – St Luke’s.
The Bishop’s Visitor
In the unfortunate situation of a clergy marriage break up, the Bishop’s visitors are specially trained to provide both pastoral and practical support to clergy spouses. You can contact them directly, or once the Bishop’s office is aware of the situation they will ask the Bishop’s Visitor to contact you. The primary contact for a Bishop’s Visitor is: Bishopsvisitors@southwell.anglican.org
The group Broken Rites – From Divorce to New Hope can also provide support in these circumstances.