Date: July 13, 2025
Hello. I am a doctoral learner under the direction of Professor Richard Whitehead in the College of Doctoral Studies at Grand Canyon University. My name is Candice Villafana. I am conducting a research study to find out how female pastors who co-pastor with their husbands experience burnout. Pastoral burnout has traditionally been studied from a male perspective and there is a lack of knowledge to address the concerns of female pastors who experience burnout.
INCLUSION- I am recruiting individuals that meet these criteria:
- Age 21 or older
- Female
- You and your spouse have both served as pastors
- You’ve served for at least one year as pastor of a Christian, nondenominational church
- You’ve pastored through burnout, emotional exhaustion, or long-term stress
- You’ve served as a pastor in one of these Southern states: Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, or Texas
EXCLUSION- You cannot be in this study if:
- Under age 21
- Born male
- You’ve never served as a pastor with your spouse
- You haven’t been a pastor for one year or more
- You’ve never been burned out, exhausted, or stressed out as a pastor
- You did not pastor in any of the Southern states listed above.
The ACTIVITIES for this research project will include:
- Online Questionnaire from your computer or mobile device (15-minutes)
- Self-Schedule an Interview on the private Study Calendar (5-minutes)
- One-on-one audio recorded Zoom interview (45-60 minutes)
- Review an email with your transcribed interview (10-minutes)
Your participation in this study is voluntary. Each participant will receive a $30 gift card, useable at over 100 popular online retailers. Additionally, a $50 gift card will be drawn at the end of the study. To enter the drawing, send me an email with the subject “Study shared” each time the study email is forwarded or shared with a female pastor.
In this study, all data is protected. To begin the data analysis process, all personal names, emails, and phone numbers will be permanently deleted from data files. All data will be destroyed after December 2030.
Link to Questionnaire
If interested, please review and sign the informed consent form. Click the link to view and sign the informed consent form.
After the informed consent has been signed and submitted, you will immediately be able to complete the study questionnaire and schedule an interview on the private study calendar.
In this study, all data is protected. To begin the data analysis process, all personal names, emails, and phone numbers will be permanently deleted from data files. All data will be destroyed after December 2030.
Link to Questionnaire
If interested, please review and sign the informed consent form. Click the link to view and sign the informed consent form.
After the informed consent has been signed and submitted, you will immediately be able to complete the study questionnaire and schedule an interview on the private study calendar.
If you have questions about this study or the informed consent, please contact me at (301) 478-6221 or by email at cvillafana@my.gcu.edu for more information.
Thank you!
Candice Villafana,
GCU Doctoral Candidate