Title: Sustaining Pastoral Excellence program holds pastors retreat March 16, 2007 Church of the Brethren News Service Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director 800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org
SUSTAINING PASTORAL EXCELLENCE PROGRAM HOLDS 'VITAL PASTORS' RETREAT
(March 16, 2007) Elgin, IL -- "Thank you for the re-call to ministry." Those words, uttered by a pastor during a closing circle prayer, capped two years of exploring with colleagues what it means to pastor with excellence. Many of the 18 pastors in the circle might have expressed the same sense of renewal.
Sustaining Pastoral Excellence, an initiative of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership funded by a $2 million Lilly Endowment Inc. grant, aims to give at least 200 Church of the Brethren pastors the opportunity for such renewal over a five-year period.
The Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership is a joint ministry of the Church of the Brethren General Board and Bethany Theological Seminary.
The 18 who gathered in Ellenton, Fla., Feb. 12-15 and joined hands for that prayer were the first group to finish the "Vital Pastors" track of the program. Meeting in small "cohort" groups, the pastors spend two years exploring a critical question related to ministry. The experience includes an immersion trip to a destination, often overseas, that helps investigation of that question.
At the retreat, these groups spent three hours each telling the other groups and Brethren Academy staff what they had learned in the course of their journey. One group studied Brethren heritage; another studied contemplative styles of worship; the others pursued questions related to mission and developing leadership.
The cohort studying contemplative worship, from southern Ohio, found inspiration in European churches finding new ways to reach new generations in a secularized atmosphere. "The message is strong enough to survive," cohort member Jerry Bowen said, "but our churches have to find a new vehicle to share that message."
A northern Ohio group focused on ways to "identify, nurture, and release leadership gifts" in congregations. "God gives the congregation the gifts of leadership it needs," they concluded. "We're just not always aware of it yet."
As these were the first groups to complete the process, they were guinea pigs of sorts, to see how it would all work. They noted the challenges of pulling the cohorts together initially and of scheduling the frequent meetings through the process, but each group expressed that it had been worthwhile. Humor and laughter permeated the reports. Many groups planned to continue meeting together now that the formal program is done, building on the relationships formed.
"This is a week of deep satisfaction now that we're here," said Jonathan Shively, director of the Brethren Academy. "This is a turning point in how we understand pastors and parish ministry. What you have done has not been just for you."
Six more cohort groups began their study last year and will have a concluding retreat in November. Another six groups are beginning their study this spring. In all, about 100 pastors have now been involved in Sustaining Pastoral Excellence, most of them in the Vital Pastors track. Another 18 have participated in the Advanced Foundations of Church Leadership track, which brings together cohort groups of eight to 10 pastors for quarterly retreats to study pastoral leadership and pursue self- development.
The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts about 130,000 members across the United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.
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For more information contact:
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford Director of News Services Church of the Brethren General Board 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120 800-323-8039 ext. 260 cobnews@brethren.org
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