About Us
We are conducting the SEM Study as a part of the Duke Clergy Health Initiative. The Clergy Health Initiative was established in 2007 by a grant from The Duke Endowment to assess and improve the health of the United Methodist Church clergy in North Carolina.
We have since conducted several studies and interventional programs that have yielded valuable insights into the health and wellbeing of clergy. Our research, for example, has revealed that clergy suffer from higher-than-average rates of depression and obesity. However, the reasons for this have only been partially addressed by our studies. There are still important gaps that remain in tracing what exact factors impact clergy health and wellbeing.
We are seeking to remedy this. The SEM Study is the first major longitudinal study examining divinity school education. Our aim is ambitious: To paint the most comprehensive picture of how divinity school students are formed throughout their training and into the early stages of their careers. Through this, we hope to spark informed conversations about divinity school education and to shape the future of ministry.
About the SEM Team
David Eagle, Ph.D., is the Principal Investigator of the SEM Study. He is an Assistant Research Professor in the Center for Health Policy and Inequalities Research and the Duke Global Health Institute. Before coming to Duke in 2008, David was a pastor. He is not only an expert on the health of religious clergy, the changing shape of churches in North American society, and the implications of these trends for the professional training of ministers, but has also experienced this first hand. If you see David, feel free to buy him lunch and ask him about Canada and craft beer. Read more about David here. Contact him at david.eagle@duke.edu or (919) 613-5497.
Josh Gaghan, M.T.S., is the SEM Study Coordinator. He received his B.A. from Wheaton College prior to receiving his M.T.S. from Duke Divinity School. Josh is passionate about divinity school education and the effect this has on seminarians entering into the early stages of their careers. If you see Josh, feel to introduce yourself and ask him about beach volleyball and his cat, Mabel. Contact Josh at joshua.gaghan@duke.edu or (919) 613-5437.
Erin Johnston, Ph.D., is an Associate in Research for the SEM Study. Trained in qualitative social research, Erin will lead qualitative data collection and analysis for the SEM Study in addition to helping out with all things Clergy Health. Before coming to Duke, Erin was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Graduate School of Education and Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at Stanford University. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from Princeton University. If you see Erin, feel free to ask about her (not so secret) dream of being a circus acrobat or swap favorite hiking trails and travel stories. Read more about Erin here. Contact her at erin.johnston1@duke.edu.