wfn.org | Homeland Ministries executive resigns

["Office of Communications"<wshuffit@oc.disciples.org>]

Date: June 1, 2000
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: Clifford L. Willis
E-mail: CWillis@oc.disciples.org
on the Web: http://www.disciples.org

00a-25

	INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- A veteran Homeland Ministries executive will leave 
her position this summer.The Rev. Joyce Coalson, vice president, Center 
for Leadership and Ministry, has resigned, effective July 14. 

	Coalson was called to work in the search and call process of the 
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Homeland Ministries' Department 
of Ministry in January 1982.She was named vice president of the department 
in 1984 and was named vice president of the Center for Leadership and 
Ministry when it was created in 1991. 

	Her decision to leave Homeland Ministries after nearly two decades of 
service arose from "a sense that after 18 years in this ministry and in 
the general church I've made the contributions I can make and it's time 
for someone else to have that opportunity -- a sense that I really yearn 
to be back in pastoral ministry and want to move back in that direction."

	After completing her master of divinity degree at Christian Theological 
Seminary in 1973, Coalson served as pastor of Windmill Point Church of 
Christ (Disciples of Christ) in Ridgeway, Ontario, from 1973-76.She also 
served as associate for education at Crestview Christian Church, 
Indianapolis, and worked with a Homeland Ministries program called "Women 
in Interim Ministry" before her call to general church ministry. 

	In 18 years of ministerial placement work, Coalson has been a keen 
observer of congregations' attitudes toward women in the pulpit."While on 
the one hand I've seen more openness, I know there's still a lot of 
struggle and pain for some who have not found those places for ministry 
that fit best for them. Percentage-wise, we're doing a lot better, and I 
celebrate that.There are still congregations who just can't imagine that 
possibility, and you just keep working with them," she said.

	Coalson feels the chief challenge for Homeland Ministries, and the whole 
church, is providing leadership for congregations in the 21st century.A 
high rate of retirements and a shortage of young seminary students will 
leave the church short-handed.She also says the church must find ways to 
provide sound leadership to congregations for whom a full-time 
seminary-trained pastor is out of the question.

	Coalson does not yet have firm post-resignation plans, but eventually 
hopes to move back into congregational ministry. "I've ...worked with a 
lot of faithful and committed lay people. I think as long as we have those 
kind of folks out there in the church, I'm hopeful for the future, and 
I'll find my niche in there somewhere," she said. 

	In announcing Coalson's resignation, the Rev. Ann Updegraff Spleth, 
Homeland Ministries president, said, "Joyce has done an outstanding job in 
the 18 years she has served the church through Homeland Ministries. Her 
presence and pastoral spirit and strength and staff leadership will be 
missed by all of us." 

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