Pastoral care of the families of the deceased clergy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of death on the family of the pastor. The study poses a question of what pastoral care model can be used to help the pastor’s family cope during their period of bereavement. A qualitative methodological design was followed, allowing individual experiences to emerge. Five female participants were interviewed. A qualitative analysis was undertaken in order to explore their grief and coping mechanism during the period of bereavement. The study traces the origin and causes of death, with the emphasis on African and biblical perspectives. The aspect of how people make meaning of death is also explored. The study revealed that death had a different impact according to their different culture. Death leads to grief which can be psychological, emotional, social, or spiritual. Several themes emerged from the study. The themes were used to produce a bereavement model that can be used to provide pastoral care to families during their period of bereavement.