Through the Part-time Pastor; Full-time Church connections in the Church of the Brethren’s Ministry Office, a partnership with Ashland Seminary has resulted in a grant of almost $1 million as a “pass-through partner” within the Rural and Small Town Initiative funded by Lilly Endowment Inc.
The Church of the Brethren’s Rural and Small Town Initiative program will be housed in the Discipleship and Leadership Formation department, with oversight by executive director Nate Polzin and staffing by Richard Wehrle. Those staff are in conversation with the Council of District Executives to work at how best to offer the resources of the grant in partnership with congregations. Unlike the grant that funded the Part-time Pastor; Full-time Church program, which was solely focused on pastors, this new grant is geared to both pastors and congregations.
The Part-time Pastor; Full-time Church program will continue as a program of the Ministry Office with oversight by Nancy Sollenberger Heishman as director of Ministry. It is entering a sustainability phase, having received a Lilly sustainability grant. A new part-time program manager, Ryan Braught, will serve as an independent contractor through the Ministry Office.
— Contributing to this report were Nancy Sollenberger Heishman and Walt Wiltschek.
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