Assessing the Personal Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Retired Clergy: Listening to their Experiences

ABSTRACT Like stipendiary and self-supporting clergy, retired clergy faced personal and professional challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic. In order to illuminate the personal impact of the pandemic, the project Through the eyes of retired clergy invited 30 retired Church of England clergy to document their experiences of the pandemic, and 24 accepted the invitation. The present paper analyses their responses and highlights five areas: the impact of the pandemic on physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, and spiritual wellbeing; opportunities during the pandemic to exercise Christian ministry; Christian ministry received from others during the pandemic; things missed most during the pandemic; and gains during the pandemic. These findings lead to two main conclusions: concerning the significant contribution made to the ministry and mission of the Church by retired clergy during the pandemic; and concerning how retired clergy could have benefited from greater recognition and support during the pandemic.