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Note #6714 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

church professions
15-June-2001
GA01154

Celtic Cross program seeks "best and brightest" college students for church
professions

by Bill Lancaster

LOUISVILLE, June 15 - While many across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are
concerned that the best and brightest are not going into the ministry, a
small college in Clinton, S.C., in partnership with a large church, has done
something concrete about it.  It has produced a program that Jack Rogers,
moderator of the 213th General Assembly, has called a "model" for the
denomination.

	"Instead of just wringing our hands and saying that we're not getting the
best and brightest to go into leadership in the church, this program
provides a positive, concrete way for people to become both interested and
involved, but trained as well, and I'm just thrilled with it," Rogers has
said.

	Presbyterian College created the program, called Celtic Cross, in 1994 in
partnership with First Presbyterian Church in Spartanburg, S.C., which
finances it.  Bob Smith, the college's director of public relations, leads
the program, and the Rev. Todd Jones, pastor of First Church, Spartanburg,
is a big supporter.  Jones' daughter Sarah is a member of Celtic Cross.

Six years ago, Rogers reluctantly admitted the college students in this
program to the week-long course he teaches for seminary students at the
Assembly, then became a convert.  "I tell you, after the first hour, you
can't tell the difference between the seminary students and the students
from Celtic Cross.  People coming out of this program are mature,
well-prepared, and they just go to work with seriousness and good humor;
there's never been any sense of difference," Rogers has said.  "I don't know
of another program like this in the country, and I think we need to look at
it as a model."

"Celtic Cross' purpose is basically to challenge our best and brightest
PC(USA) students at Presbyterian College to consider ministry as vocation,"
Smith said. Students apply for membership at the end of their freshman year.
"Once they are accepted," Smith said, "they have to agree to all aspects of
the programs, including two weekend retreats a year with leaders from the
larger church. Then they must participate in two skills workshops, one each
semester."

Leaders they have had for such programs at the college include: Jack Rogers,
Douglas Oldenburg, Bill Arnold, Del Poling, Betty Meadows, Peter Hobbie and
Bill Jamieson. Scheduled to come are Rodger Nishioka, Bill Carl, and Nancy
Ramsey. They use local church professionals to serve as mentors for three or
four students in leadership teams.
Workshops have been held on reading and interpreting scripture, moral and
ethical decision making and using small groups in the church.

The students are strongly encouraged to work at PC(USA) camps, conference
centers and congregations. The college is able to subsidize their salaries
as necessary.   They have taken mission trips to Menaul School, Plaza
Resolana and Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, visited the Church of Scotland and
were guests of the Scottish stated clerk at closing ceremonies of the
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.  They are given books to help
them start a library. Often their students serve as youth advisory delegates
at the Assembly.

Beyond Presbyterian College, the Lilly endowment has come on board, Smith
said. Lilly is offering support for leadership development programs to
schools that apply.

Oldenburg, who is a former Assembly moderator and retired president of
Columbia Theological Seminary, said he is "very supportive of Celtic Cross
and programs like it."

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