Healthy Seminarians-Healthy Church

OUR MISSION

We equip seminarians, clergy, and church leaders to explore practical ways of living into greater health and wholeness through education, research, and advocacy.

WHO WE ARE

Healthy Seminarians-Healthy Church is deeply committed to helping seminary communities, clergy, and church members connect their theology to their own health, as well as  that of their families, communities, and the world.  We offer practical and scientifically-based opportunities for participants to engage their health theologically so that they can live into the abundant life God offers.  Through education, research, and advocacy, we provide tools for achieving greater health, wholeness, and service. 

Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

OUR VISION

HSHC recognizes that seminarians and clergy struggle disproportionately with mental, emotional, and physical health issues.  We are committed to breaking this cycle of unhealth.  Through our efforts to educate and bring awareness of how to change this reality, we can help church leaders become agents of positive transformation in their communities.  We do this by:

• Developing, testing, and providing practical tools and resources for seminarians, clergy, and congregations;
• Modeling and promoting healthier habits;
• Informing and influencing the administrations of seminaries, divinity schools, and denominations for the prioritization of health in both their pedagogy and culture; and
• Consulting, advocating in, and educating churches on how to model theologically grounded wholeness.

OUR VALUES

HSHC is committed to exploring, embodying, and educating theologically and scientifically grounded wholeness through:

• Recognizing and operating out of an ethic of the interconnectedness and interdependence of all creation;
• Creating and nurturing an accepting, non-judgmental, confidential, and accessible space for all participants, regardless of where they are in their wellness journey;
• Valuing our own health and the health of our coworkers through practicing integrity and authenticity in our personal and organizational life;
• Encouraging and cultivating whole-food, plant-based, sustainable, and zero-waste practices;
• Partnering with organizations that complement HSHC’s work; and
• Looking forward to and planning for a sustainable organizational future.

OUR HISTORY

HSHC was established as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in fall 2014.  It grew out of co-founders Karen and Travis Webster’s passion for a fuller vision of wellness – including fitness, nutrition, and a sustainable lifestyle – that supports greater health for all of God’s people and creation.  Their own wellness journeys, and those of their fellow seminarians, confirmed the research showing that pastors, as well as the general population, continue to struggle to find wholeness in all areas of life – spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, and beyond.  Together, they reflected on how they could share what they had learned about these troubling patterns to assist their fellow seminarians, clergy, and congregations in living life more wholistically.   HSHC was born out of God’s call on Karen and Travis to share their passion for the interconnected nature of wellness in ministry with seminarians and churches.

OUR CO-FOUNDERS

Karen and Travis grew up in Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations (Karen in California and Travis in South Carolina), met while attending Princeton Theological Seminary (Princeton, NJ), and married in 2003.  The interconnection of mind, body, and spirit, as well as the need for an integrated approach to total health and wholeness, has been a consistent theme throughout both of their lives.  Their journey toward holistic health began during their teenage years, when both Karen and Travis became greatly interested in the physical, communal, and ecological impact of people’s food choices.  This first focus on food prompted them to explore the many other interdependent aspects of health – such as spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental – in a life of relationship to self, community, and God. Together, Karen and Travis are focused on living out their understanding of abundant life for themselves and for the good of all creation.

Both Karen and Travis are available to consult with seminaries, churches, and denominational groups to implement programs that care for people and all creation.