wfn.org | Newsline: Sustaining Pastoral Excellence program fields final pastor cohorts

[cobnews <cobnews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service, News Director Cheryl Brumbau gh-Cayford, 800-323-8039 ext. 260, cobnews@brethren.org

SUSTAINING PASTORAL EXCELLENCE FIELDS FINAL PASTOR COHORT GROUPS

(April 24, 2009) Elgin, IL -- The Sustaining Pastoral Excellence program of  the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership is beginning its sixth yea r. The program is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren, funded by a gra nt from Lilly Endowment Inc. Offering continuing education for pastors, the  program is in its final year of the Lilly grant.

Sustaining Pastoral Excellence has launched its last seven "classes" of pas tor cohorts. These seven groups of pastors will each study a self-selected  ministry question for two years, 2009-10.  In Nov. 2010 they will come toge ther to share with each other what they have learned about their questions.

Listed below are the participants in each group, the district(s) represente d, the ministry questions, and the destination of each group's travel:

Eikler Cohort (West Marva and Pacific Southwest Districts): Question: "How  does engaging other religious traditions inform and transform us and our pr actice of ministry?" Immersion retreat destination: Shikoku Island and Hiro shima, Japan. Participants: Torin Eiker (facilitator), Carrie Eikler, Bill  Haldeman-Scarr, Sara Haldeman-Scarr, Erin Matteson, Russ Matteson.

Oltman Cohort (Western Plains District): Question: "How do we as pastors of  diverse congregations experience abundant life in Christ as we individuall y grow in our discipleship, and hence, our ability to foster healthy relati onships in Christ's love with others?" Immersion retreat destination: Churc h of the Savior, Washington D.C.; and a retreat center in Great Bend, Kan.  Participants: Marlo Oltman (facilitator), Leslie Frye, Sonja Griffith.

Davidson Cohort (Western Plains District): Question: "What does it mean for  us to become effective rural mission-oriented pastoral leaders in effectiv e rural, great commission, mission-oriented ministries?" Immersion retreat  destination: Chicago (and places along way) to visit mission-oriented minis tries and ministers. Participants: Ken Davidson (facilitator), George Hinso n, Ed Switzer.

Smalley Cohort (Western Plains District): Question: "What are the attitudes , skills, and principles we need as ministerial leaders to work effectively  in our own cross-cultural and multi-cultural settings?" Immersion retreat  destination: Quo Vadis Center for Interfaith Dialogue in Tiruvannamalai, Ta mil Nadu, India. Participants: David Smalley (facilitator), Michael J. Burr , Barbra S. Davis, Christopher Everett Stover-Brown.

Snyder Cohort (Western Plains District): Question: "What personal worship a nd spiritual direction/formation practices shape us as corporate worship pl anners and leaders to encourage spiritual formation in the congregation?" I mmersion retreat destination: Iona Community, Scotland. Participants: Laura  Snyder (facilitator), Karen Cox, Keith Funk, Jon Tuttle.

Speicher Cohort (Atlantic Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern Pennsylvani a Districts): Question: "How do we develop and sustain courage and passion  to minister to our communities within a culture of fear?" Immersion retreat  destination: Nigeria. Participants: Timothy Speicher (facilitator), Peter  Haynes, Del Keeney, Wally Landes, Belita Mitchell.

Wenger Cohort (Western Pennsylvania District): Question: "As pastoral leade rs, what actions and initiatives on our part will lead our churches into a  deeper encounter with Christ and motivate them to be actively engaged in a  counter-cultural fashion in the mission of Christ in our world?" Immersion  retreat destination: Current Christian Ministries in England along with his torical sites related to the Anabaptist/Pietist movement in England and Ger many. Participants: William Wenger (facilitator), Jeffrey Fackler, Robert R ummel, John Stoner, Jr., Linda Stoner, William Waugh.

For more about the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership and the Sust aining Pastoral Excellence program, go to www.bethanyseminary.edu/brethren- academy.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continu ing 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 t raditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrated it s 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts more than 125,000 members across the  United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nig eria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
>Director of News Services
>Church of the Brethren
>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
>800-323-8039 ext. 260
>cobnews@brethren.org