To leave the parish ministry is a major decision clergy find themselves periodically faced with owing to a variety of factors, often spawned by stress over parish relations, economics exigencies, domestic considerations, etc., but, whatever the precipitating cause, facing that possibility is a grave challenge and responsibility. Over the past fifty years and more, the GTF has seen hundreds of clergy come through our training programs and not infrequently some of them eventually leave their parish ministry to enter other forms of ministry. This course is designed to (1) explore the reasons why clergy leave and to (2) explore those other fields of ministry to which these individuals have felt themselves called.

The reasons why clergy choose to leave the parish ministry will be explored particularly as relates to stress resulting from parish relations and their cognates including economic and domestic considerations. Those fields to which clergy leaving the parish choose to pursue will include the chaplaincy, counseling, teaching, business, spiritual direction, and canon laws and mediation.