An Eden-shaped Ecosystem for Leader Formation: Using an Internal Coaching Network to Foster Clergy Wellbeing

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
This project demonstrated how to include coaching as a contributor to clergy wellbeing in an ecosystem for Christian leader formation. The project created a coaching skills training program for the Evangelical Covenant Church as the necessary precursor to establishing an internal network of coaches in the Covenant. A number equaling 10 percent of active Covenant clergy were trained in coaching skills over three years. Participants reported highly positive outcomes for all affective, cognitive, and behavioral goals. The project arose theologically from the Trinitarian image of God and practically from God’s leader formation ecosystem on display in the garden of Eden. The five Eden ecosystem markers are Spirit power, identity, diverse communal leadership, mission, and discerning God’s voice. It was further informed by Covenant wisdom sayings that underscore the denomination’s core values for spiritual companionship and accountability. The project successfully focused on building a supply of trained ministry coaches, and correctly assumed that a demand for coaching would follow supply. By focusing on generating supply, the project not only effectively addressed access issues by creating a cadre of trained coaches, but also began to address resistance issues by showing pastors the positive outcomes of coaching for ministry leaders. In contrast to a healthy ecosystem, where all the dimensions work together to promote wellbeing, many clergy must instead labor to do ministry in a post-COVID environment marred by isolation, divisiveness, stress, exodus from the church, and ministry burnout. In the Covenant, clergy care and discipline cases rose in 2023, indicating that the denomination’s clergy were not exempt from the negative pressures that impacted ministers everywhere. Although leader wellbeing is part of God’s original intent, maintaining wellbeing is increasingly difficult. The coaching network established through this project aligns with best practices from positive