Pastoral Supervision - A Ministry of Care for Those Who Care for Others

Ministry is rich, demanding, and often deeply personal. Alongside its joys, clergy regularly carry complex pastoral, relational, and organisational responsibilities, often with limited space to pause and process the impact of their work.

To support the wellbeing and long‑term sustainability of those serving across the Church in Wales, we are delighted to offer funded, professional pastoral supervision for ordained clergy, a confidential and theologically-grounded space to reflect, realign, and remain rooted in healthy patterns of ministry.

Through a partnership between the Church in Wales and St Luke’s for Clergy Wellbeing, this new programme provides clergy with access to trained and accredited pastoral supervisors who understand the realities of ministry. Over an 18‑month period, participants receive dedicated time to explore their vocation, their context, and the pressures they hold, with the aim of strengthening resilience, nurturing self‑awareness, and enabling flourishing in their ongoing service.

As part of a Henry Smith Foundation funded programme to advance clergy reflection, the Church in Wales and St Luke’s for Clergy Wellbeing signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing to work together for three years. St Luke’s then commissioned Wesley House to run their Certificate in Reflective Pastoral Supervision at Cardiff Vale College in February 2025, with the first trainees qualifying in December 2025. We are now launching individual pastoral supervision for clerics.

Pastoral supervision is a dedicated, theologically informed, facilitated space for ministers to reflect on their vocation, the context and impact of their work, and explore healthy and sustainable ways forward in ministry.

• Funded individual support for Church in Wales clerics
• 22.5 hours of pastoral supervision to use over approximately 18 months
• Choose your preference of supervisor from our approved list
• Decide the frequency and duration of sessions with your supervisor
• Online or in-person (geography dependent)

1. Pick two preferences of pastoral supervisor from the approved pastoral supervisor list.
2. Complete this confidential online form, which goes directly to St Luke’s: St Luke's Advancing Clergy Reflection Programme.
   This should take less than 5 minutes and asks for your contact information, any access needs, supervisor choices and permission for St Luke’s to keep and share your details with your chosen pastoral supervisor and programme evaluators.
3. St Luke’s introduces you and your supervisor, sessions begin.

Any questions please email our dedicated address: ACR@stlukesforclergy.org.uk.

St Luke’s is striving to contribute further to the clergy wellbeing field evidence-base, to keep learning and advocating for more ministerial support. Researchers Dr Sharon Jagger from York St John and Dr Alex Fry from Bournemouth Universities are undertaking an independent evaluation of the St Luke’s ACR Programme over 5 years. We ask you complete a baseline questionnaire at the beginning of pastoral supervision and a comparative questionnaire at the end of your 22.5 hours. Around 10% of clergy will also be approached to have a semi structured interviews with either Sharon or Alex.