By J.A. Dunn

LAKELAND — Pastors are the people church members, and many times community leaders, turn to in times of crisis and celebration.

They perform baptisms, weddings and funerals, visit the sick, attend a multitude of church meetings, counsel those who are troubled, and prepare and deliver weekly sermons. Add family responsibilities and the list of expectations is enough to emotionally and physically deplete the most dedicated and organized pastor.

So who takes care of the caretaker? Shade and Fresh Water may be the answer.

Shade and Fresh Water is a group of active and retired clergy, spouses and laity who have been meeting for two years to identify and address clergy family concerns. The group was approved at the 2003 Florida Annual Conference Event to become part of the conference.

The group is striving to provide a place of healing for individuals and their families who are professionally associated with the church and experiencing the stresses involved with their responsibilities.

To make that a reality the group has established three “transforming settings” that will provide spiritual renewal, theological reflection and healing in a peaceful atmosphere.

Trudy Rankin, a licensed therapist and certified spiritual director, is the program coordinator for Shade and Fresh Water. She is also researching the clergy family for her doctoral dissertation.

Rankin said the group is providing relaxing settings for clergy and their families in Polk County, Jacksonville and Jupiter. She said a trained spiritual advisor stays with the individual for a week to discuss any issues the clergy person may be experiencing. The goal is to have a transformative setting or healing space with an assigned spiritual director/counselor in each district, according to Rankin.

To promote healthier clergy the group is focusing on four areas. They are planning retreats and workshops for clergy families, divorce recovery retreats for clergy and spouses, the annual Clergy Kids Camp and opportunities for clergy and their family members to experience reflection and problem solving.

The group held six relocation workshops in May to ease the turbulent time some pastors and their families experienced moving to new areas. A divorce retreat is scheduled for this fall.

Rankin said the group hopes this form of preventative care will help clergy families become healthier, potentially impacting the conference’s medical insurance costs.