In this paper, we describe the roles and stresses of ministers in responding to the November, 1985, floods in West Virginia. We present the results of follow-up interviews with ministers covering such issues as work overload, frustrations, role conflict, and stress symptoms. In particular, we explore the unique challenges ministers face in helping people to integrate the traumatic and tragic events of the disaster into the theological context of their religious beliefs.Ministers often play an important role in offering emotional support to individuals suffering a personal tragedy. When people are confronted with losses, such as death or divorce, they frequently turn to the clergy for guidance and counseling. In rural areas where mental health resources are generally scarce and underused, ministers serve a particularly vital function in helping those who have had traumatic expe¡ Although the3' are often well-trained or experienced in dealing with people coping with personal tragedies, the clergy, like other professionals, are rarely prepared for large-scale natural disasters.On November 4 and 5, 1985, a devastating flood hita 29-county atea of West Virginia, Ieaving a total of 38 persons dead and 10 missing. Ah estimated total of 4,389 homes were destroyed and another 762 were condemned. Three counties in particular, Hardy, Grant, and Pendleton, sustained heavy losses of lives and property. For example, 24 of the 38 dead and 9 of the 10 missing were from these three counties.Numerous studies have examined the traumatic effects of a natural disaster on its victims (e.g., Sowder, 1985). Only recently, however, have researchers started to study the reactions of the emergency workers who participate in the rescue, treatment, and relief efforts following a natural disaster (Hartsough, 1985).The reactions of disaster workers include physical, social, and psychological problems. They report higher incidences of physical problems, such as headaches, nausea, decreased appetite and fatigue (Mitchell, 1982). Other researchers have observed that the workers also experience social problems, such as more tensions and strains in their relationships with spouses, children, and friends (Hartsough, 1985). And psychological problems, such as anxiety, depression, nightmares, intrusive memories of the disaster, difficulty concentrating, * Based on a paper presented at