Acclaimed Christian author Brian McLaren tells us, “It’s almost guaranteed: if you don’t have ADHD yourself, you know and love someone who does. 

Katie Steele has written a book to help you understand what ADHD is and how to cope with it, both in yourself and in others. But even more, she helps us see the gifts that come from being different from the norm in this way, especially in clergy and churches. The book is intelligent, clear, winsome, and practical.”

Today’s Belief Behind the Book celebrates Katie Steele’s The Sacred Spark: Exploring the Hidden Gifts of ADHD in Spiritual Leadership.

Belief Behind the Book is a feature that gives readers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the beliefs—or what I call the why—behind books written by progressive spiritual leaders. Inspired by the Ministry from the Margins Books program, Belief Behind the Book shines a spotlight on why authors write the books they write, offering practical tips for readers to apply to their own belief systems.

For decades, it has been no secret that clergywomen in Protestant denominations leave ministry at a rate 10 percent higher than their male colleagues. Despite a newfound focus on self-care and work-life balance for clergy, the attrition rate remains. After receiving her own “late” ADHD diagnosis, Rev. Dr. Katharine Steele began to wonder if there was a correlation.

Weaving together personal narratives with reflections on her own lived experience, she shares the highs and lows experienced by clergywomen with ADHD. Readers are encouraged to reframe ADHD as a spiritual gift, empowering these clergywomen with traits uniquely suited to spiritual leadership.

After a thorough exploration of the effects of ADHD on ministry, she makes recommendations for churches, church leadership teams, and denominational leaders. Together, more support for neurodiverse clergy is possible.

Katharine (Katie) L. Steele is an ordained United Methodist Elder in Full Connection, currently serving as the Campus Pastor for Wesley Campus Ministry at Miami University of Ohio. A trained hospital chaplain with a Doctor of Ministry in Faith, Health, and Social Equity from Drew Theological School, she is passionate about helping all people see neurodivergence as a spiritual gift.

She has embarked on a mission to train church leaders in best practices for supporting pastoral leaders with these unique traits. She serves on the board of Young Clergywomen International (YCWI), continues her involvement in Girl Scouts as a leader, and resides harmoniously in Cincinnati with her clowder of rambunctious clergy cats.

When I asked why she wrote this book, Katie responded poignantly, “The Sacred Spark catalogues my own personal journey of self-discovery and increasing self-empathy over the past several years. Despite a deep and abiding certainty that I am called to vocational ministry, I have found serving the church even more difficult than expected. Upon receiving my own ADHD diagnosis, I realized that much of the well-meaning advice I had received from mentors, colleagues, and denominational leaders simply was not the best approach with my specific neurotype. Knowing that I and other clergy cannot self-care our way out of a diagnosis, I wanted to provide a guide for church leaders for structural change.”

One practical takeaway she wants readers to have is “for readers, especially church leaders, to walk away with is to trust their clergyperson to know herself. Listen to her needs and understand that no one will know how to better equip her for success than she will.”

May this book ignite a sacred spark in all of us to honor neurodiversity in our pulpits, pews, and communities so every leader can shine with the brilliance they were born to bring.