The origins of the Clergy Wellness Commission can be traced back to the sermon preached by the Rt. Rev. Fred Hiltz at his own installation service in March of 2002. At that time, Bishop Hiltz set a tone for his pastoral ministry by stating that clergy wellness would be one of his priorities. Subsequently, his commitment to this priority was demonstrated by his calling together of the clergy for a conference focused on clergy wellness in November of 2002. In December of that year, Bishop Hiltz invited the Rev. Don Shipton to chair a task force, which would act as a follow-up to that gathering in terms of recommendations to him and the diocese. In November of 2003, the Task Force on Clergy Wellness submitted its final report to Bishop Hiltz, and recommended that a Clergy Wellness Commission be established to respond to the report’s recommendations.
