Strategies for Emotional Healing among Adventist Pastors in Central Kenya

Abstract

This paper explored how pastors in Central Kenya Conference can experience emotional healing using 40 pastors as participants in the questionnaire and eight pastors’ representatives in the interview as informants. The study employed a questionnaire and an interview protocol as data collection instruments. The questionnaire was administered to the purposively selected participants, five (5) from each of the eight stations. In addition, interviews were conducted with the eight pastors’ representatives to deduce their particular views and perspectives on emotional hurt and healing. Five items emerged: prayer, sermons, good relationships, forgiveness and counselling support as healing strategies. The study thus recommends that for emotional healing and/or wellbeing to take place, pastors should be intentional about prayer, believing in what they preach, reconciling their broken relationships, forgiving in order to be forgiven and embracing counselling services.