wfn.org | Church offering camp and retreat leaders certification option

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

July 28, 2000 News media contact: Linda Green·(615) 742-5470·Nashville,
Tenn. 10-71B{345}

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)-The United Methodist Church is now offering those
involved in camps and retreat ministries a way to become professionally
certified spiritual leaders.

Approved by the 2000 General Conference in May, the Camp and Retreat
Certification option is the result of more than a decade of dreaming,
collaboration and planning by the United Methodist boards of Discipleship
and Higher Education and Ministry in Nashville, Tenn.,  Drew Theological
School at Madison, N.J.,  and the church's  National Camp and Retreat
Committee. 

The four groups  will provide a thorough, academically recognized
development process for leadership in camps and retreat ministry.  The
option was added to the denomination's official areas of certification for
spiritual leaders and was placed under the administration of the section of
deacons and diaconal ministries in the churchwide Board of Higher Education
and Ministry.  

The first of five certification courses in camp and retreat ministries will
be offered Jan. 24-31, 2001,  in conjunction with the national retreat
leaders gathering at Snow Mountain Ranch in Winter Park, Colo. Offered by
Drew, the three-credit course "Faith Formation and Christian Living," will
explore the biblical foundations of camp and retreat ministry and faith
formation.

The course includes strategies for reaching out and welcoming people into
faith formation experiences.  It will also provide opportunities to actively
practice Christian discipleship with one another and strengthen the
partnership between camp and retreat ministry, local congregations and
conference ministries.  The course will be taught by the  Rev. Lynne
Westfield, an assistant professor of religious education at Drew, and the
Rev. Mary Elizabeth Moore, professor of theology and Christian Education at
Claremont (Calif.) School of Theology.

According to Joaquin Garcia, a staff executive in the section on deacons and
diaconal ministries, professional certification is the United Methodist
Church's recognition that a person has been called to specialized ministry
and has made a commitment to fulfill the standards of academic   training,
experience and continued study to serve with excellence. 

Other options of certification in the United Methodist Church include
spiritual formation, Christian education, youth ministry, evangelism and
music ministries. Professional certification also requires  biblical and
theological knowledge, skills development and knowledge of the program and
resources of the denomination.

Garcia said the new certification effort grew out of the interest of people
serving in camp and retreat ministries who desired the church to recognize
their vocational calling.  He said the church has made a commitment to
provide scholarships and a structure of support as they enter into a
disciplined process combining academics and practice of the specialized
ministry.

"Professional certification is the place where the commitment of the church
and the commitment of the individual cross together to serve the church with
excellence," Garcia said.

The mission of the United Methodist Church's camp and retreat ministry is to
create environments of Christian hospitality and learning designed to help
people affirm and expand their faith in God and their service as Christian
disciples within God's world; grow in wisdom and in healthy self-esteem; and
develop lifestyles of loving interdependence with one another and all
creation.

Certification in camp and retreat ministry seeks to build upon an
"integrative learning tripod" of spiritual and theological maturity,
ecological integrity and the development of managerial and leadership
skills, Garcia said. 

The most exciting component of this new certification is its in-depth
approach to developing spiritual leaders for the unique mission of Christian
Camp/Retreat Ministry, said Kevin Witt, director of camp/retreats ministries
at the Board of Discipleship.

"The purpose of United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministry Centers is
different from merely providing excellent meals, lodging and recreation," he
said. "Over the last 10 years, I have noticed some obvious drifting from our
unique purpose and identity as we have too heavily relied on other
organizations and resources for training and defining what our priorities
should be."  

Witt said while those sources cover the business side,  "unfortunately they
speak little to some of the most vital aspects of our specific ministry.
Helping people grow closer to God and helping them to shape their lives
around the way of love revealed by Jesus is often completely missing from
generalized camp and retreat training," he said.  "Herein rests our power
and our unique contribution to the world. We are not really needed if we are
not fulfilling our calling and share in our unique gifts with society."

In addition to serving a United Methodist constituency, many church-related
camps, conference and retreat centers also provide Christian hospitality
experiences to other religious and educational groups, social service
organizations, families and non-profit groups.  
"The United Methodist Church helps to spread love and service far beyond the
boundaries of our sites," he said.

For more information about the camp and retreat ministries certification
process contact the Section of Deacons and Diaconal Ministries of the
General Board of Higher Education and Ministry by e-mail at sddm@gbhem.org
or by writing P.O. Box 34007, Nashville, TN 37203-0007; telephone (615)
340-7375.

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United Methodist News Service
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