Your well-being matters to us because your well-being matters for the church.
We care deeply for the health of the church and its leaders. Our own ministry experiences lead us to be even more passionate about helping you thrive in your ministries.
Our Story
The Flourishing in Ministry project began over ten years ago at the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Matt Bloom, whose wife is a pastor, led a team of researchers (including Dr. Chris Adams, our Executive Director) to develop insights about clergy well-being. Our Flourishing in Ministry Wellbeing Model developed out of this research.
Dr. Adams now leads the Flourishing in Ministry project at Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University, as part of the Mental Health and the Church Initiative. The research study currently includes over 20,000 clergy surveys and several hundred in-depth interviews with a diverse group of clergy. We design our resources and services around the latest research so that the church and its leaders can thrive as much as possible.
Meet Our Team
Our team is full of people with a heart to see the church and its leaders thrive. We have all served in ministry ourselves and care deeply for you as ministers and leaders in the church.
Rev. Chris Adams, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Rev. Chris Adams, Ph.D., is a third-generation pastor's kid, ordained minister, clinical psychologist and certified well-being and leadership coach. He has served in pastoral care and counseling roles in a large congregation and a large Christian university. He specializes in the well-being of ministerial students, clergy and their families. Chris currently serves as Professor, Chaplain and Executive Director of the Mental Health and the Church Initiative at Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University.
Chris teaches pastoral care and counseling, Christian leadership formation and psychology and Christianity integration courses for Rosemead and several seminaries. Chris is a consultant to numerous denominations and seminaries in the areas of clergy candidate formative evaluation, clergy health and flourishing and pastoral leadership formation. He is the lead researcher for the Flourishing in Ministry project, and is currently participating as a consultant and researcher with the Duke Clergy Health Initiative.
Chris is a frequent lecturer at seminaries, retreats and conferences. He was recently awarded the 2023 Archibald D. Hart Counseling Pioneer Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship in Training and Educating the Next Generation of Leaders in Mental Health and Caring for Others.
Dr. Sylvia Hart Frejd
Director of Coach Education
Dr. Sylvia Hart Frejd has over 20 years experience of coaching for relationships, women in leadership, life transitions, stress and anxiety, grief and loss, spiritual formation/direction, parenting for digital wellness and emotional intelligence. In addition to being the Director of Coach Education for Flourishing in Ministry, she serves as the Director of the Flourish Center for well-being in Knoxville, Tennessee and is the Founder and President of Flourish Wellbeing University.
She holds a master’s degree specializing in Christian Counseling and a D.Min. in Leadership. She is a Master Certified Coach (MCC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF), a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, and ICF Mentor Coach.
She is the co-author with her father Dr. Archibald Hart of The Digital Invasion: How Technology is Shaping You and Your Relationships. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Fox News, PBS and CBS Radio, Mashable, CBN, TBN, Focus on the Family, and in The Christian Post.
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