Marilyn Lerch, coordinator of the Training In Ministry (TRIM) program of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, will conclude her half-time position on Dec. 31 as a result of staff reconfiguration at the academy. She will continue as half-time pastor of Bedford (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.
During her 13 years as TRIM coordinator, Lerch worked with more than 170 TRIM students and coordinated 20 orientations for almost 200 TRIM and EFSM (Education for a Shared Ministry) students. She worked with district TRIM coordinators in most of the 23 districts in the Church of the Brethren. Her master’s degree in education from Virginia Tech, a master of divinity from Bethany Theological Seminary, and teaching and pastoral experiences provided skills needed to implement major changes in the TRIM program.
The Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership is a ministry training partnership of the Church of the Brethren and Bethany Theological Seminary. TRIM courses serve ministry training students and provide a continuing education option for pastors. Based on the Bethany campus in Richmond, Ind., the Brethren Academy’s onsite and online learning have made Brethren training available for students from coast to coast.