The Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center (SVMC) equips leaders for ministry in a Christ-centered, culturally relevant context that bears witness to the beliefs, heritage, and practices of the Church of the Brethren. SVMC partners with districts and the denomination to train and educate those called to ministry.
By Audrey Hollenberg-Duffey The Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center and Brethren Press are partnering to offer a Faith Formation Series on Zoom: “Advancing Small Group Online Ministry” will be led by Julie Guistwite on April 28 at 6:30-8 p.m. (Eastern time). Skillfully cultivating sacred spaces for spiritual growth in online environments extends a church’s ministry beyond
Deb Oskin will again be presenting the annual Clergy Tax Seminar on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern time), sponsored by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership
Tabitha Hartman Rudy will join the staff of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership as part-time coordinator of English-Language Ministry Training Programs, starting May 1.
The Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center (SVMC) has hired Audrey Hollenberg-Duffey as the new director, beginning May 1. Prior to May, Hollenberg-Duffey will be working with retiring executive director Donna M. Rhodes to provide a good transition.
This Spring, as part of the series “Build Bridges Across Ideological Divides,” the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership is offering the course “Ministering Across Cultures: Building Bridges Through Intercultural Competencies.”
Upcoming events from the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership include the annual Clergy Tax Seminar with leadership from Deb Oskin, scheduled for Feb. 1, 2025, as an online webinar; and the course “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship” with leadership from Christy Waltersdorff, scheduled for Jan. 15-March 11, 2025, as an online course via the Moodle virtual classroom.
The 2025 Strength for the Journey cohorts focus on three themes: 1) Preaching, 2) Team Ministry, and 3) Pastoral Visitation and Chaplaincy. Strength for the Journey (SFTJ) provides resources for several ministry cohorts each year.
Donna Rhodes, executive director of the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center (SVMC), has announced her retirement effective April 30, 2025. She has served SVMC since Oct. 1, 2001.
The upcoming urban ministry course offered by a partnership of Bethany Theological Seminary, the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, and the Church of the Brethren Discipleship and Leadership Formation department, is titled “A Place of Refuge: Ministry in the Urban Context.” It takes place on Jan. 7-15, 2025, in Atlanta, Ga.
