The Health Ministries Association is “people of faith working together for healthier communities.” Membership is whole-heartedly open to anyone involved in promoting health—spiritual, physical, mental, community—through/with faith communities or faith-based organizations. This naturally includes those serving in spiritual enhancement positions: chaplains in any setting; rabbis, pastors, priests, imams and other local congregational clergy; denominational leaders; religious educators; lay pastoral/congregational leaders. This constituent group is a way for spiritual leaders to network and offer a voice of faith in health-related issues.
Opportunities
The Spiritual Leadership constituent group plays a key role in upholding the faith aspect to our work in promoting health. There are several ways to accomplish this essential role:
Being a Spiritual Presence through HMA
- Lead in spiritual aspects in HMA work, e.g., reflections for monthly e-publications, spiritual options in annual HMA conference, etc.
- Lift up a spiritual perspective and voice on HMA’s behalf regarding local, national, and global challenges and opportunities.
- Be a spiritual presence for HMA’s leaders and members in their work for whole-person health.
Building HMA Infrastructure
- Work to increase presence of congregational clergy, chaplains, and other faith leaders in HMA membership.
- Develop HMA relationships with professional organizations, such as Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), American Association of
- Pastoral Counselors ((AAPC), Network on Ministry in Specialized Settings (COMISS), Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), and Spiritual
- Directors International (SDI).
- Develop HMA relationships with denominational leaders of all denominations/faiths. This may be done in conjunction with other HMA constituent groups.
Influencing Our Wider Community
- Speak to/influence the preparation and continuing education of congregational clergy for health ministry.
- Help define the role of clergy in a wholistic health model.
Participants in the Spiritual Leadership constituency group, as members of HMA, gain and give important benefits
- Networking and resources to support local health ministry.
- Connection with spiritual leaders in various settings across the country.
- An avenue to speak in faith to communal challenges and opportunities.
- Opportunity to help provide spiritual leadership to the work of HMA.
- A place to share our expertise, experience, and encouragement to impact our common wholeness.
Together, as the Spiritual Leadership constituent group, we impact the fabric of health and wholeness through our membership in HMA.
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