wfn.org | ABCUSA: Ministerial Leadership Commission Awards 35 Wellness Grants

["SCHRAMM, Richard" <Richard.Schramm@abc-usa.org>]

American Baptist News Service (Valley Forge, Pa. 11/24/03)--In celebration
of the 2003 Clergy Appreciation Season, the Ministerial Leadership
Commission of American Baptist Churches USA has awarded 35 "wellness grants"
to ministerial leaders.  The grants are the result of letters from
congregations and individuals and are expressions of appreciation for those
who minister to American Baptist churches and agencies. 

Clergy Appreciation Season is a part of the Commission's Clergy Health
Initiative (CHI) through which the Commission has sought to establish clergy
health as an American Baptist priority.  According to the Rev. Ivan George,
Ministerial Leadership Commission executive director, "During this time
congregations are urged to find opportunities to express kindness and
encouragement to their pastors and other ministerial leaders.  Requesting,
receiving and presenting wellness grants add to the many other ways in which
congregations demonstrate concern and affection for their leaders."  George
noted that creative ideas for clergy appreciation are posted on the
Commission's Web site: www.abc-mlc.org. 

"A very important theme of CHI is that clergy health is a community issue,"
George said.  "The ministerial leaders cannot be healthy by themselves.
Providing the wellness grant and performing other acts of support during
Clergy Appreciation Season and throughout the year are ways in which the
local congregation or other American Baptist agency becomes a partner with
the ministerial leader in the pursuit of healthy lifestyles.  The healthy
clergyperson is then an important factor in the growth and development of
the healthy congregation."

Those receiving 2003 wellness grants are: The Rev. Dr. Don Anderson of the
First Baptist Church of East Greenwich, R.I.; the Rev. Olivier Bala of the
Mount Hope Community Baptist Church of Providence, R.I; Pastor Mark Ballard
of the First Baptist Church in Chili of Rochester, N.Y.; the Rev. Alan Berg
of the South Hills Community Baptist Church of Upper St. Clair, Pa.; the
Rev. Art Campbell of the West Side Baptist Church of Topeka, Kans.; Pastor
John Chamberlin of the First Baptist Church of Whitehall, N.Y.; Pastor Peter
B. Conlin of the First Baptist Church of Eastpointe, Mich.; Pastor Destry
Cowell of the Countryside Baptist Church of Hutchinson, Kans.; Pastor Lester
B. Cantrell of the First Baptist Church of McPherson, Kans.; the Rev.
Michael Deutsch of the First Baptist Church of Ashland, Ill.; Pastor John H.
Doty of the Pullman Baptist Church of Pullman, Wash.; the Pastor Carl
Edwards of the Palestine Baptist Church of St. Edward, Neb.; the Rev. Jack
A. Gilstrap of the First Baptist Church of Abilene, Kans.; Pastor Phyllis
Goodyear of the Covenant Baptist Church of Indianapolis, Ind.; Pastor Brian
Hastings of the Memorial Baptist Church of Fond Du Lac, Wis.; Pastor Tom
Hogsten of the Phenix Baptist Church of  West Warwick, R.I.; Pastor Jerod H.
Hugenot of the Brenner Heights Baptist Church of Kansas City, Kans.; Pastor
Ira Kelly of the First Baptist Church of  Glassport, Pa.; Pastor Joann Kelly
of the First Baptist Church of	Glassport, Pa. 

Also: the Rev. Jay Kennedy of the Lynhurst Baptist Church of Indianapolis,
Ind.; Pastor Dan Kline of the First Baptist Church of Clay Center, Kans.;
the Rev. Joyce Lawlor of the Bay View Baptist Church of Milwaukee, Wis.; the
Rev. David Lemke of the Slate Valley Baptist Church of Oxford, Kans.; the
Rev. Richard McIntyre of the Riverview Baptist Church of New Eagle, Pa.; Dr.
Willie Means of the First Baptist Church of Barberton, Ohio; Minister Curtis
L. Price of the Wedgewood Community Church of Seattle, Wash.; the Rev. Dr.
Jeremiah B. Pryce of the Grace Tabernacle Baptist Church of Lyndhurst. Ohio;
the Rev. Michael J. Ross, Sr. of the Saint Paul Baptist Church of Boise,
Id.; Dr. Horace O. Russell of the Saints Memorial Baptist Church of Bryn
Mawr, Pa.; Dr. Jeffrey L. Savage of the First Baptist Church of Springfield,
Oreg.; Pastor Sandra L. Spaulding of the Lakeville Baptist Church of Argyle,
N.Y.; the Rev. Dr. Lawrence O. Swain, executive minister of the Pittsburgh
Baptist Association; the Rev. Cheryl Thomas of the Calvary Baptist Church of
Des Moines, Ia.; the Rev. J. Rockford Walker of the Lynhurst Baptist Church
of Indianapolis, Ind.; and Pastor Steve Wisthoff of the First Baptist Church
of Bismarck, N.D.  

K/2003ABNS/03ABN151

American Baptist News Service: Office of Communication, American Baptist
Churches USA, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851; (800)ABC-3USA x2077
/ (610)768-2077; fax: (610)768-2320; www.abc-usa.org;
richard.schramm@abc-usa.org