All of us have things in our lives that feed us, things that make us glad to be alive and to be doing the work God has given us. But all of us know too those things that cause stress, and make us wonder whether pumping gas wouldn’t be a more satisfying way to spend our time. And some of those stresses are unavoidable—of course. To survive and thrive depends on having a healthy balance of satisfaction and stress.
Wanda Malcolm has a professional interest in helping those in church work discover that balance. Dr 
Malcolm is the Professor of Pastoral Psychology at Wycliffe College, and is working on a research project called the Wycliffe Wellness Project.
What is the WWP?
The Project is a long term study aimed at better understanding the ups and downs of life in “professional ministry” (for lack of a better term)—ordained ministers, youth workers, staff of parachurch agencies, children’s ministers, chaplains (in any setting), and so on.
What are the particular “stressors” and “satisfiers” in the life of an individual? They will be different for each person and each kind of ministry. They may even differ from denomination to denomination. And how can we find a healthy balance between the two so that we can find joy in our ministry?
Because this is a long term study, we hope that at least some participants will be willing to participate several times over a ten year span, to see how things change and (hopefully) improve. Naturally, participation in the long-term aspect of the study is entirely voluntary, and you can withdraw from the project at any point if you wish.
If you are in some kind of “professional ministry” and want to know more, you can read the introduction to the project here, where you will also find a link to Frequently Asked Questions. And when you are ready to fill out the questionnaire, you can begin on this page here. Any questions can be directed to Dr Malcolm at
