Pastors Complete Church Leadership Program


Nine Church of the Brethren pastors who recently completed the Advanced Foundations of Church Leadership process were honored at a banquet in Hagerstown, Ind., on Nov. 17. To celebrate their accomplishment, spouses, friends, congregational representatives, and staff gathered from around the country.

The pastors recognized for completion of this program are: Eric Anspaugh of Florin Church of the Brethren in Mount Joy, Pa.; Glenn Bollinger of Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren in Bridgewater, Va.; Michael Clark of Walnut Grove Church of the Brethren in Johnstown, Pa.; John Holderread of Big Creek Church of the Brethren in Cushing, Okla.; Bruce Huffman of Germantown Brick Church of the Brethren in Rocky Mount, Va.; Peter Kaltenbaugh of Meyersdale (Pa.) Church of the Brethren; David L. Miller of Lick Creek Church of the Brethren in Bryan, Ohio; Timothy Peter of Prairie City (Iowa) Church of the Brethren; Deb Peterson of Union Church of the Brethren in Plymouth, Ind.; and Sheila Shumaker of Troy (Ohio) Church of the Brethren.

The banquet recognized the efforts of these pastors to cultivate sustained health and to deepen their leadership capacities. The Advanced Foundations process, which is offered by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, began in January 2005 and included eight four-day retreats over two years. At the retreats, the pastors engaged a wide range of leadership literature and paradigms, shared in prayer and worship, responded to assessment tools, worked with case studies, and participated in a collegial environment of learning and support.

Instructors for Advanced Foundations included a variety of seminary and denominational leaders, including Tara Hornbacker, Dena Pence Frantz, Jeff Bach, Del Keeney, Dan Ulrich, Kathy Reid, Stephen Breck Reid, Kathy Royer, Mary Jo Flory Steury. Jonathan Shively and Lowell Flory.

Advanced Foundations of Church Leadership is one of two program tracks of the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence initiative of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership. The current group of pastors to complete Advanced Foundations was the second of three such “cohort groups” funded through a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. A third group, currently being formed, will begin its work in January 2007.

The Brethren Academy is a ministry training partnership of the Church of the Brethren General Board and Bethany Theological Seminary, and can be reached at academy@bethanyseminary.edu or 765-983-1824.

 


The Church of the Brethren Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board. Jonathan Shively contributed this report. Newsline stories may be reprinted if Newsline is cited as the source. To receive Newsline by e-mail go to http://listserver.emountain.net/mailman/listinfo/newsline. Submit news to the editor at cobnews@brethren.org. For more Church of the Brethren news and features, subscribe to “Messenger” magazine; call 800-323-8039 ext. 247.


 

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