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This story available online:

www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2009/09078<http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2009/09078

>'More valuable than a piece of paper'

Meeting 'Face to Face' makes all the difference

>by Emily Enders Odom
>Associate for Mission Communications

SAN ANTONIO, TX ― Crisscrossing the Exhibit Hall at the
Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) Annual
Conference here, Elizabeth Lovell could sense her
excitement mounting.

Lovell, a senior in the dual M.Div./M.A.C.E. degree program
at Union Theological Seminary-Presbyterian School of
Christian Education in Richmond, VA, had at least one new
reason this year for attending the annual gathering for
educators for the fifth consecutive year. She is now
seeking a full-time call to ministry.

"Since I already love being at APCE," Lovell said, "having
an opportunity to talk face to face with congregations that
value education made my attendance at the event even more
meaningful this year. Because APCE is a place where
Christian education is celebrated, it gets me energized
about the ministry to which I am called."

Lovell, who first registered with the Presbyterian Church
(USA)'s Church Leadership Connection [www.pcusa.org/clc/]
(CLC) at the end of November 2008, took special note this
year of the opportunity to meet church representatives
"Face to Face," a regular feature of the APCE event.

CLC is the internet based matching and referral system of
the PC(USA), in which congregations, presbyteries, synods,
educational institutions, and other Presbyterian entities
seeking leaders for ministry positions are connected with
pastors, Christian educators, administrators, executives
and other church professionals seeking a call to service
within the PC(USA).

"You can only read so much on paper," said Lovell, "but
when you talk face to face, the church becomes alive and
real."

The Rev. Ivan Herman, associate pastor at Balmoral
Presbyterian Church in Memphis, TN, was similarly drawn to
this year's APCE conference by the presence of the Face to
Face event here. Herman, himself a previous attendee, had
not initially planned to return to the conference,
intending to spend his study leave in a different way. When
he learned, however, that waning finances at Balmoral would
require the church to eliminate the associate pastor
position effective June 30, 2009, he changed his mind.

"Although Face to Face was certainly influential in my
decision to attend APCE, I wasn't sure what to expect,"
Herman said. "There's a certain mystery to it. As I was
hoping and praying that the Holy Spirit would connect me
with churches that I might not otherwise have thought of, I
was also praying that the churches seeking pastors here
might see something in a candidate whom they otherwise
wouldn't have considered."

Herman said that Balmoral has been extremely supportive in
helping him to be placed, encouraging him to seek out such
opportunities for interpersonal contact. "Anything can
happen when you meet face to face," he added. "It's a much
more valuable interaction than a piece of paper."

For Herman, the "Face to Face" was a "good, positive,
well-run experience." Upon his arrival in San Antonio, he
was quickly able to locate all of the information on those
churches which had sent representatives to the APCE event,
thanks to the work of on- site coordinator, Jewel McRae,
associate for CLC Administration and Racial Ethnic
Referral. He then had an opportunity to call all of the
congregations that had been recommended to him and set up
interviews.

"Because I went to a United Methodist seminary, I don't
have the same natural connections that others have through
the Presbyterian-related seminaries," Herman said. "It's at
events like this where I can build networks of Presbyterian
connections."

Making connections at the APCE "Face to Face" was also
important to Kellen Smith, a member of the associate pastor
search committee at First Presbyterian Church, Delray
Beach, FL. Smith, a former youth ministry worker who is now
a first year student at Princeton Theological Seminary, was
his committee's choice to make the trip.

"When we first saw the electronic flyer advertising 'Face
to Face,' what immediately appealed to us was the chance to
meet and interview several potential candidates in a short
period of time," Smith said. "The process flowed very
smoothly and the staff seemed really excited about matching
people and churches."

Church Leadership Connection will be hosting another "Face
to Face" in 2009 at the Big Tent event
[www.pcusa.org/bigtent], a first-of-its-kind denominational
gathering scheduled for June 11-13, 2009, in Atlanta.

"Being open to the Holy Spirit and the opportunity that the
denomination provides through 'Face to Face' has eased our
committee's work considerably and broadened its scope,"
said Smith. "It is my hope that other committees and
seekers will be inspired to take advantage of this helpful
resource."

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