Self-Care for Black Women Clergy: A Pathway for Awakening The Soul to Becoming Well

Abstract

The shout for women’s rights, equality, and the desire to be visible and cared for has been a clarion call for centuries and Black women continue to live in the tension of this shout-both in how we exemplify our faith and in how we have been shaped to show up in the world. This paper will spotlight the systematic devaluation of Black women clergy and patriarchy in the AME church tradition. Research indicates theological spaces and practices are often guided by gender domination against Black women. In contrast, I argue that engagement with the principles of womanist theology and the cultural resonance of music will reconstruct the patriarchal gaze of domination, which opposes the fullness of the work of Christian ministry. I reimagine the church as a space where Black women clergy awaken their souls to expand thought on mental wellness and self-care to thrive as servant-leaders in the church. In this way, my discussion creates a transformative vision for inclusion as a faithful response to human flourishing.