I recently preached for the first time in nine months. It was on Mother’s Day and I challenged us to realize that, while on Mother’s Day we seek to lift up the women in our lives, the reality is that we need to ask ourselves what we are doing to raise women up all of the other days of the year. This is especially important knowing that women continue to lag behind men statistically in rates of pay and other markers.
It feels strange to write this, but today I want to focus on men. That’s because June is National Men’s Health Month. It’s also a little bit because of these statistics. As of 2020, the clergy of the United Methodist Church were 32% women and 68% men. In Michigan, that rate is 33.3% women and 67.3% men – only nominally better than the national numbers.
So, my sermon still stands. I want to see more women in ministry, especially since they make up a much greater percentage of the population than is evidenced in the clergy ranks. However, since clergy are still so largely male, I also need to point out that men statistically don’t see the doctor as often as women. The CDC reports that “women are 33 percent more likely to visit the doctor than men, and women are 100 percent better at maintaining screening and preventive care.”
The good news is that clergy rates of seeing the doctor exceed the national numbers. During National Men’s Health Month, it’s still worth encouraging the male clergy among us to go see the doctor if they haven’t done so.
Regularly seeing your doctor is important for addressing a number of possible health concerns, the largest being cardiovascular health issues. Our insurance provides participants with a free annual physical with no co-pay involved. There is nothing stopping you from seeing the doctor, and it’s good if you do.
Look, as MI Benefits Guy, I want everyone to see the doctor. While I think we need to focus a lot of attention on issues facing women, in this moment, I also want to say, “Male clergy, make sure to see your doctor.”
Last Updated on May 31, 2024