Differential perceptions of ministers and churchgoers with regard to health counseling needs

Abstract

The problem of this study was to analyze the Texas Southern Baptist minister's perceptions regarding the minister's health counseling competencies and the churchgoer's health counseling expectations in contrast to the Texas Southern Baptist churchgoer's perceptions regarding the minister's health counseling competencies and the churchgoer's health counseling expectations. Texas Southern Baptist ministers and churchgoers from three areas within the state of Texas were surveyed. Two questionnaires were developed for the study and sent to randomly selected ministers and churchgoers. Administration of the surveys yielded 113 ministerial responses and 606 churchgoer responses. Percentages, chi-square, Kendall's coefficient of concordance, Spearman's rank order correlation, and analysis of variance were used to report and analyze the data and to compare the two questionnaires. The minister most frequently offered counsel in the areas of spiritual growth, marital problems, pre-marital concerns, mental/emotional issues, and death. Most ministers felt inadequately trained to counsel in seven of the fourteen counseling areas listed, but adequate in counseling all but four areas. The ministers recommended required educational programs in each of the fourteen areas during ministerial training, and indicated a need for and an interest in additional education opportunities in each counseling area. The churchgoers indicated counseling needs in the areas of spiritual growth, marital problems, pre-marital concerns, death, and parent-child conflict. The churchgoers expected competent counsel from the minister in all counseling areas, and felt that the minister was an adequate counselor in all but two areas. The churchgoers preferred the minister as their counselor in twelve of the fourteen areas. Finally, comparisons were made between certain items on the two questionnaires. No differences were found between the ministers' and churchgoers' responses regarding the counseling needs of the churchgoer or the importance of ministerial counseling. However, churchgoers were more likely than ministers to perceive a need for a minister of health in the church. Recommendations drawn from the conclusions of the study include the hiring of health educators by those institutions which prepare the minister, the development of continuing programs to educate the minister in health areas, and the hiring of health educators by churches.