Church Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

WVU Researchers Find Burnout Among Faith Leaders

In a recent study, WVU researchers looked at burnout among community faith leaders. Appalachia Health News Reporter, Emily Rice, sat down with Angel Smothers, associate dean for community engagement, and clinical associate professor at the WVU School of Nursing, to discuss the study’s findings.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Rice: Is this research based on a pandemic era study or something more recent?

Smothers: During the stay-at-home order of 2020, we wanted to really take the opportunity to look at how faith leaders were approaching working with their congregants and the people within their faith communities. And so we completed this study, knowing that this was the only time we’ll ever be able to do a study like this.

Rice: Have conditions improved or declined since then?

Smothers: So, you know, we recognize from the study that we need further research to look at now that things have settled down, where are we?

Rice: I was wondering how the study got started?

Smothers: We really were seeking to find out what were faith leaders, what techniques were they using to still engage with their community members? Because there were pastors here in West Virginia, we’re the third most rural state in the nation. And you know, we have a lot of very rural areas where there’s limited internet. And so, we wanted to find out what were some differences between pastors, let’s say in the southern coal fields of West Virginia, where there’s limited internet versus the more urban settings such as in Mon County, Morgantown area.

Rice: Why is this study important to you? Why is it important to pay attention to people experiencing burnout?

Smothers: What we wanted to look at was those faith community nurses, and you know, pastoral leadership, whether it’s pastors or priests or clergy in faith communities, what they were doing to continue to engage with the communities that they serve. The burnout piece of that is, especially during a crisis moment, we wanted to see, how did they overcome those barriers in accessing and supporting their community members?

Rice: What is compassion fatigue, in your own words?

Smothers: Compassion fatigue is when someone is in the role of caregiver. And whether that be a pastor, a nurse, someone, a lay person, that is just a supportive person for someone else. When you’re in the caregiver role. It’s… it’s really easy to get burned out. And so caregiver compassion or compassion fatigue, really relates to someone having burnout who is in a caregiver role.

Rice: And why is it important for people in that caregiver role to feel compassion satisfaction? And what does compassion satisfaction mean to you?

Smothers: Compassion satisfaction really is for someone who is in that caregiver role to feel that the work and the sacrifices that they’re making to provide care are meaningful.

Emily Rice: What are some of the self-care strategies you recommend for those experiencing burnouts?

Smothers: We recommend that people self-examine their own limitations, and don’t exceed those and remember their own spiritual, physical, mental and emotional needs and seek out ways to address those within themselves even while still acting as a caregiver.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

Health And Wellness A Priority At This West Side Church

On a Friday morning, a small group of mostly Black women gathered at A More Excellent Way Life Church on Charleston’s West Side. But instead of bibles, they brought laptop computers. And instead of prayer, they heard a presentation from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine on what are called “Community Health Workers.”

A community health worker isn’t a doctor or a nurse. Instead, they do more for outreach and education, in rural, urban and global settings.

Elder Denise White, a pastor, was one of the participants. The class was her idea. She and the church know that the West Side’s health needs are far-ranging.

“The West Virginian population tends to be at the lower levels of all the health indexes across the board,” she said.

The state ranks first in the nation for prevalence of heart disease and obesity.

Across West Virginia, faith-based organizations are filling needs in their communities. Beyond spiritual guidance, places of worship can offer their members a sense of community, and resources like food and clothing.

Elder White says her place of worship gives out food baskets regularly, serving hundreds of people at a time. With the coronavirus pandemic, the church found itself hosting free COVID-19 testing. It also streamed a Facebook video of their leading pastor, Bishop Robert Haley III, getting a coronavirus vaccine earlier this year, to encourage others to do the same.

The church will also hold a health fair open to the public on June 26. Attendees can visit booths from local health providers like PAAC and Health Right.

By training volunteers to educate and help the community on health-related topics, it’s another step to help the congregation lead healthier lives. White says it’s about meeting people where they are at.

“We see this program as an opportunity to get others trained in the community to work towards getting into the schools, getting into the homes, getting into other businesses to encourage a more holistic approach to health outcomes in our community,” she said.

Evonne Richards of Raleigh County led Friday morning’s presentation. She works for the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. She said community health workers meet a coverage gap that occurs outside of a hospital’s walls.

“When someone’s discharged from a hospital, who’s going to help them get to their next appointment to make sure everything’s OK? Who’s going to help them make proper food choices?” Richards said.

Community health workers can also bring a cultural competency that not all health providers can.

“They gain credibility within the community, because you’re from the actual community you’re serving,” Richards said. “You know what it’s like to get up everyday and be a resident of the West Side of Charleston.”

To do that, public health experts say it’s best to have some training on the health care system, public resources, and communication skills. The school of Osteopathic Medicine has free training suited for those with no previous health care experience.

Theresa Coleman took the course that day at the church she attends. She has worked as a CNA and counselor before. She says her church members are already doing some of the labor of a community health worker.

“We have people coming by all the time riding a bike, needing water, saying they might faint. Well, we have a blood pressure monitor and we can send them to the emergency room or where they might need to go,” Coleman said.

This training will give tools to better serve local residents. Another participant, Tina Beatty, agreed.

“The more you know about something, the need that is in the community, the better you will be at helping them solve problems,” she said.

W.Va. Health Department Reports More Than 20 Active Church Outbreaks

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reported 23 church outbreaks across 17 counties Wednesday.

Between these places of worship, at least 270 West Virginians have contracted the coronavirus and not yet recovered, according to the DHHR.

The largest active outbreaks are in Kanawha, Raleigh, Monroe, Mingo and Wood counties, the latter of which has more than 40 COVID-19 cases linked to one church.

Other active outbreaks have been reported in Cabell, Fayette, Hardy, Jefferson, Logan, Marion, Jackson, Preston, Taylor, Tyler, Wayne and Wyoming counties.

During a virtual press briefing Wednesday, Gov. Jim Justice urged West Virginians to wear face coverings indoors, to social distance and take advantage of alternatives to in-person services.

“If you can get your services online, and you choose to not go at this point in time, it’d probably be wise,” Justice said.

Since March, when West Virginia first began responding to the coronavirus pandemic through a now-rescinded stay-home order, various places of worship have adapted by offering virtual and outdoor services.

Emily Allen is a Report for America corps member.

Recent W.Va. Church Outbreaks Lead To More Than 70 New Coronavirus Cases

The most recent string of COVID-19 outbreaks linked to places of worship has led to roughly 75 West Virginians testing positive for the coronavirus over the last couple of weeks.

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources said it is tracking outbreaks related to seven churches in Kanawha, Boone, Logan, Raleigh, Grant, Taylor and Wood counties.

This is not the state’s first bout of church outbreaks. Earlier this summer the DHHR reported smaller outbreaks in Ohio, Marshall, Hampshire, Marion and Jefferson counties. In June, more than 40 worshippers at the Graystone Baptist Church in Ronceverte, Greenbrier County, tested positive for the coronavirus. One member died.

“We want to encourage everyone to still have online services if possible, but we are going to lend our support to the churches,” said Dr. Ayne Amjad with the Bureau for Public Health during a virtual press briefing Monday. “If you’re going to still meet, then we want to offer our support to them [places of worship], and encourage face shields.”

At least 48 people had tested positive for the coronavirus by Monday afternoon, all of whom were linked to the North Charleston Apostolic Church in Kanawha County.

Roughly half those people live in Kanawha County. The outbreak also includes five Putnam County residents, nine Cabell County residents, four Lincoln County residents and one Logan County resident.

In Boone and Taylor counties, the church outbreaks were linked to bible studies.

In Taylor County, public information officer Shawn Thorn said the four local cases were linked to a weekly bible study for adults. According to Thorn, the church volunteered to close for two weeks without requests from the county health department.

Julie Miller, the Boone County Health Department administrator, said four of the eight cases from her county’s church are Boone County residents who were involved in a three-day vacation bible school for children.

“We’re still trying to get everybody to wear masks everywhere, especially when they go to church,” Miller said.

Gov. Jim Justice signed an executive order July 6, requiring all West Virginians older than 9 years old to wear a face covering indoors when social distancing is not possible.

The governor’s communications office confirmed to West Virginia Public Broadcasting via email the executive order applies to places of worship. Yet, two weeks after Justice’s order, it remains unclear how local and state health departments legally can enforce this requirement in churches.

The governor’s communications office did not respond Monday afternoon to follow-up requests for clarification, regarding county health departments’ abilities to force churchgoers to wear masks.

Miller said participants did not comply with Justice’s mask mandate, which took effect Tuesday, July 7. It’s her understanding, she added, that local health departments like hers are unable to enforce the mandate with churches, due to separation of church and state.

In Kanawha County, the director of environmental health reported by way of his spokesperson that health officials would need a circuit court judge to agree a church is a health hazard, to legally enforce a closure.

In both Boone and Kanawha counties the churches responsible for the outbreaks agreed to close for at least two weeks, following requests from the local health departments.

In Wood County, where at least five residents have tested positive for the coronavirus, public information officer Carrier Brainard for the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department said the church responsible for the outbreak was compliant with the mandate.

Brainard declined to share details regarding the church’s name and location.

“It’s just important that people not panic, but that they make the right decisions and try to wear a mask,” Brainard said. “I know it’s difficult to sing with the mask on, but that’s one of the areas that they say is the worst for projecting, when you’re not wearing a mask and you’re singing.”

Health officials also recommend worshippers sit in every other pew.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting was unable to reach health departments for Raleigh, Grant and Logan counties by the time of this article’s publication.

Emily Allen is a Report for America corps member.

More Than 20 Test Positive For Coronavirus At Charleston Church

Charleston health officials are still tracking COVID-19 cases linked to the North Charleston Apostolic Church in Charleston, after identifying more than 20 infected worshippers by Wednesday through contact tracing.

So far, the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department said it has identified 19 Kanawha County residents, four Putnam County residents and one Logan County resident through contact tracing.

The church did not respond to requests for comments on Thursday from West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Pastor Anthony Moss told WOWK 13 News on Wednesday the church first learned some members were testing positive on July 9, when he closed in-person service.

Church leaders agreed to pause in-person services for the next three weeks on Wednesday, according to the health department.

Major Gen. James Hoyer of the West Virginia National Guard said Wednesday members had recently sanitized churches in Raleigh and McDowell counties. Local health departments didn’t respond to several requests for additional information.

As of Thursday, the Guard has helped sanitize 46 essential businesses, including churches where there have been at least one positive case of the coronavirus. That includes the Graystone Baptist Church in Ronceverte, Greenbrier County, where more than 40 members tested positive for the coronavirus in June.

The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department will continue free drive-thru and walk-up testing on Saturday in Charleston at the More Excellent Way Life Church from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The church is located at 504 Virginia Street West.

Emily Allen is a Report for America corps member.

Free Coronavirus Testing Extended For Greenbrier Co. After Outbreak At Local Church

West Virginia health officials are reporting the state’s fifth known COVID-19 outbreak linked to a church – this time, in Greenbrier County.

A Facebook post on Saturday from the local health department confirmed there were at least 17 people who had tested positive for the coronavirus. The cases are linked to the Graystone Baptist Church in Ronceverte, located between a nursing home and an elementary school.

Local and state health officials, with help from the West Virginia National Guard, are offering free testing to all residents of Greenbrier County on Sunday, June 14, and Monday, June 15, at Dorie Miller Park in Lewisburg. Testing will be available both days until 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Those wishing to be tested do not need to be showing symptoms of the coronavirus. Insurance is not required to receive a test.

Earlier this week, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources confirmed four outbreaks at places of worship in Boone, Hampshire, Jefferson and Marshall counties, infecting 23 people in total.

Local health departments are still actively investigating the outbreaks in Boone and Marshall counties, according to DHHR spokesperson Allison Adler. She added that “several churches did not have adequate safety measures in place” upon reopening.

Graystone Baptist Church and the local health department did not immediately return West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s request for comment.

DHHR Cabinet Secretary Bill Crouch shared his concerns on Thursday for an increased potential for COVID-19 spread in the southern counties now that the Hatfield McCoy trail systems have reopened to out-of-state riders. The DHHR is not reporting any other known outbreaks at this time.

In Greenbrier County, State Sen. Stephen Baldwin, D-Greenbrier, is on a local COVID-19 task force. He said the Graystone Baptist Church incident will be the group’s first agenda item on Monday.

“I would be remiss if I did not encourage people to wear masks and follow social distancing,” said Baldwin, a minister for the Ronceverte Presbyterian Church. Baldwin said his church will continue holding virtual services.

Emily Allen is a Report for America corps member.