also in this issue gbhem discusses young clergy ... discusses young clergy, theological education,...
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No. 2 y 2013
G E N E R A L B O A R D O F H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N & M I N I S T R Y
Prepar ing Global Leaders for a Global Church
GBHEM Discusses Young Clergy, TheologicalEducation, Shortage of Elders
PLANS FOR THE YOUNG CLERGY INITIATIVE,
the Central Conference Theological
Education Fund, a report on a coming
shortage of elders in the UMC, and the
state of theological education were con-
sidered by the General Board of Higher
Education and Ministry’s board of
directors at the August 7-9 meeting in
Nashville.
The Board also approved a $40.8
million budget for 2014, heard a report
from General Secretary Kim Cape, and
worshipped together.
Dr. Cape told the Board members
that she invited Don House—
who holds a Ph.D. in economics and
chairs the South Central Jurisdiction
episcopacy committee—to talk about
Economist Don House presented his research on a growth strategy for the UMC to Boardmembers and staff. He warned that a substantial shortage of ordained elders is looming.
VICKI BROWN
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Western N.C. BOM Gives $6,000 To E-Reader Project 7
Mentoring, Scholarship Program Has Six Graduates This Year 8
E-Book Features Women Pastors Breaking Through the Stained Glass Ceiling 10
Study Explores Changing Role of DSes 11
Collegiate Ministry Events Explore Common Strategies 12
Teachers Receive Top Award for Hitting Mark With Students 14
Martinez Is New Director of Specialized Theological Education 15
Ethnic In-Service Training Grants Help Prepare Leaders 16
Donn
ie Reed for G
BHEM
clergy supply and effectiveness because
GBHEM needs to ask the right ques-
tions. She said that was also the reason
for hearing about the state of seminary
education from Dan Aleshire, executive
director of ATS (the Association of Theo-
logical Schools in the U.S. and Canada).
“GBHEM needs to be on the cutting
edge of the discussion around clergy
supply, young clergy, and seminary
education. We are called to address the
big issues of our day, just as we have in
the past,” Cape said. She said GBHEM’s
legacy of rising to the challenges of the
past includes Africa University, the his-
torically Black colleges, and creating the
Educational Institutional Insurance
Association when the UM-related Black
colleges could not buy insurance from
commercial firms.
“This is our legacy. Our purpose is
to marshal the educational resources of
The United Methodist Church to
address the issues of our day. Some-
body has to do something. Now it is
our turn.”
Global Theological EducationThe Rev. Rena Yocom, GBHEM’s assis-
tant general secretary for Clergy Forma-
tion and Theological Education,
reported on plans for the $5 million
Central Conference Theological Educa-
tion Fund, as well as membership of
the commission that will meet in
Copenhagen to discuss ground rules for
use of the fund. Questions include
whether the funds will be administered
by grant application, or through some
basic distribution, and whether there
will be a formula for geographic distri-
bution.
“The center for Christianity is mov-
ing to the Southern hemisphere—for
the first time in 2000 years,” Yocom
said. She said that shift may have been
a factor in the selection by the Roman
Catholic Church of Pope Francis, an
Argentinian.
“There has been a lot of reflection
on the legacy of Nelson Mandela, no
doubt generated by his current frail
health,” Yocom said. She said when the
World Council of Churches met in
Africa, Mandela greeted the gathering
and gave a tribute to his early training
in a Methodist Mission school and
thanked them for instilling in him a
faith which nurtured him in those days
in prison on Robbin Island.
“My hope and my prayer is this—
that we understand that the Fund for
Central Conference Theological Educa-
tion is more than banking or distribut-
ing dollars. We are called to shape
future leaders out of our Wesleyan
2 COLLEAGUE x NO. 2 x 2013
“GBHEM needs to be on the cutting edge of the discussion around clergy supply, young clergy, and seminary education.”
Vicki Brown / G
BHEM
Ted Brown, Beth Downs, and Bishop Grant Hagiya at the opening worship service in the Upper Room Chapel during the August Board meeting.
tradition, who care about holiness of
heart and holiness of life. The question
then, is: How—as stewards of God’s
gifts and the church’s offerings—do we
invest in training the leaders that will
follow in the footsteps of those such as
Nelson Mandela and Pope Francis?”
Yocom asked.
Worshipping Together During the sermon at opening worship,
Demetrio Beach compared the
unknown future facing the UMC today
to that faced by the Israelites as they left
the slavery of Egypt for the possibility
of failure and death in a new land.
“We have been called and chal-
lenged to promote the connection of
Methodist higher education and theo-
logical education through international
networks, extend UMC ministries to a
broader range of young adults in their
colleges and communities, and increase
the number of young adults involved in
UMC activities and young-adult mem-
bership,” Beach said.
Also, he said GBHEM is called to
partner with annual conference leaders
to continue to nurture candidates for
ordained and licensed ministry to
develop and implement programs and
processes that result in discernible
growth and increased effectiveness.
“But, we are in the unknown,” he
added.
Beach said any person can carry you
where you’ve already been, but “we
can't make one step in the future with-
out the help of the Lord.”
A Shortage of EldersDon House, who has proposed a
growth strategy for the UMC based on
enlisting about 1,000 churches in
spending about $20 million annually
for growth, focused his presentation at
GBHEM’s Board meeting on the coming
shortage of elders. He warned a sub-
stantial shortage of United Methodist
ordained elders is looming. The short-
age is linked to the membership
decline. (See page 4 for additional report-
ing on Dr. House’s presentation to the
Board.)
Seminary EducationDan Aleshire addressed the Board
members and staff by web conferencing
via WebEx. He spoke about the effect of
declining church attendance and reli-
gious affiliation in the U.S. on the state
of theological education.
While overall enrollment in semi-
naries has declined since 1977, Dr.
Aleshire said that the percentage of
African Americans enrolled has
increased and is more reflective of the
population of the U.S. For instance, he
said 14 percent of students at ATS
schools are African American, and
about 14 percent of the U.S. population
is African American. For Hispanics, the
enrollment has increased from 1 per-
cent of students to 6 percent, but the
population of Hispanics in the U.S. is
16 percent. Asian or Asian-American
residents make up 8.5 percent of all
theological school students, but only 3
to 4 percent of the U.S. population.
He also said the age distribution of
seminary students has changed, with
the majority of students either under 30
or over 50.
More students graduate with more
debt, too, Aleshire said. In 1991, 47
percent of M.Div. students graduated
with debt—an average $11,043—com-
pared to 64 percent in 2011 with an
average of $38,526 of M.Div. debt.
In other actions, the Board:• Heard Bishop Grant Hagiya’s “Reflec-
tions on Our Board Functioning” and
discussed board / staff relationships
related to policy governance.
• Approved new directors for two
Course of Study schools and gave
provisional approval for revisions of
the basic curriculum for the five-year
Course of Study, pending approval by
the Course of Study Council of
Directors. The Course of Study is the
educational path for licensed local
pastors in the UMC.
3WWW.GBHEM.ORG
Demetrio Beach preached the opening worship sermon.
(continued on page 5)
Vicki Brown / G
BHEM
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Pulpits filled with young, passionatepeople who are called to make disciplesfor Jesus Christ and in love with thedenomination are the key to saving TheUnited Methodist Church.
One economist has crunched thenumbers, and he says if a turnarounddoesn’t start soon the denomination willbe “toast” in 37 years.
The economist, Donald R. House, is adevoted lifelong United Methodist whoholds a Ph.D. in economics and chairsthe South Central Jurisdiction episco-pacy committee. He calls his plan, “AStrategic Plan for Growth in The UnitedMethodist Church.”
His plan depends on good leader-ship to inspire donors to invest money
above and beyond their current churchbudgets to build up membership.
It also depends on an ample supplyof elders. At this time, the denominationis facing a shortage, House said. Housedelivered his message to GBHEM’s boardof directors and staff. GBHEM is theagency charged with developing andeducating ordained leaders for thechurch. He spoke to the board of direc-tors during their August meeting.
“Somebody has to do somethingabout clergy supply and effectiveness.That somebody is GBHEM,” said the Rev.Kim Cape, top executive of the board.She made the remark during her state ofthe agency report saying House wasinvited to address the board on clergysupply “to help us ask the right ques-tions.”
Bishop Jim Dorff, president of theboard and episcopal leader of the San
Antonio Area, said House’s presentationwas “sobering but also filled with hope.”
House is making the rounds offeringa plan that he says needs to start now ifthe denomination’s membership declinein the U.S. has any hope of reversing.
His plan has the church growingenough by 2021 to reverse the denomi-nation’s decline in membership whichhas been slipping dramatically since the 1960s.
His research has also found thatyounger pastors equal faster growth.Investing scholarship money in youngpeople who then will go on to 30-plusyears as pastors means a greater returnon investment, he said.
“There needs to be growth in the
applicant pool and for that we need helpfrom local churches,” he said.
He warned a substantial shortage ofUnited Methodist ordained elders islooming. By 2020, the deficit will be 4,143clergy and 5,041 by 2030.
The shortage is linked to the mem-bership decline. It is time to start spend-ing money on growing the denomination,he said.
In order to attract “the best and thebrightest” they need to know the denom-ination they are investing in will still bearound by the time they are ready toretire. They also need to graduate with-out crushing debt, with a promise offinancial security, and with faith andsupport from their congregations fortheir entrepreneurial ideas.
House first unveiled his plan to lead-ers in the South Central Jurisdiction; he also plans to bring it to other
United Methodist agencies.House talked about a memorable
meeting with United Methodist bishopsin January 2010. At that meeting, heasked the question: What were the majormistakes made as a United Methodistdenomination that contributed to thedownturn in membership beginning inthe 1960s?
A retiring bishop, whom he did notname, said, “We have not been recruitingthe brightest and best.
“Many of our present clergy weredrawn from the middle and bottom ofour classes. We do not have sufficientnumbers of talented clergy. God is callingtalented leaders into the Christianchurch, but they are not choosing
United Methodism.”At least one young pastor on the
board was fired up by House’s plan andwants to bring it to his church.
The Rev. DJ del Rosario, pastor ofBothell United Methodist Church in aSeattle suburb, said even though healready has a church that is growing, hebelieves House’s plan would be wel-comed by his congregation.
Not everyone was so impressed.Forbes Matonga, conference secretary ofthe Zimbabwe West Conference, said theplan was “too focused on the dollar andnot on the making of disciples. First comethe disciples then the money will fol-low,” he said.
He also pointed out that the denomination is growing in Africa. “You cannot say if the church dies in the U.S. that it will be dead everywhere.”
Directors and Staff Hear Economist Don House
“House’s research has found that younger pastors equal faster growth.”
• Approved a resolution presented by
Bishop David Yemba from the Global
Education and Ministry Committee
that GBHEM begin to look at how
the whole UM connection can really
be global in nature—beginning with
education.
• Heard a report from the Racial and
Ethnic Concerns Committee. The
committee said the new Ethnic In-
Service Training Grant application is
now online and will remain open
until September 30 for applications.
Robin Starr Minthorn, committee
chair, said the committee has agreed
future applications will open on Jan-
uary 1 and remain open until June
30 to allow plenty of time for review.
• Received a report from Neil Blair,
GBHEM’s executive director of Insti-
tutional Advancement, on initial
plans to raise $10 million in funds
for United Methodist scholarships.
He told Board members that he has
some prospective large donors
and will be asking for Board mem-
bers’ help in exploring every option
possible.
• Discussed plans for the spring meet-
ing next March at Africa University,
which includes a one-day joint meet-
ing with the AU board of directors.
Brown is associate editor and writer,Office of Interpretation.
5WWW.GBHEM.ORG
Kim Cape delivered her Report of the General Secretary to Board members, staff, and guests.
Upcoming Events
World Communion SundayOctober 6, 2013
Ministry Study Commission October 28-31, 2013
Durham, N.C.
Exploration November 15-17, 2013
Denver, Colo.
Student Day SundayNovember 24, 2013
Africa University Board of Directors December 4-6, 2013Mutare, Zimbabwe
GBHEM Spring MeetingMarch 17-18, 2014Mutare, Zimbabwe
Joint AU / GBHEM Board MeetingMarch 19, 2014
Mutare, Zimbabwe
For information on the SpecialSundays with offerings and to order
resources and make an onlinedonation, visit www.umcgiving.org.
Donn
ie Reed for G
BHEM
A delegation from Soochow University in Taiwan brought greetings to Board members andstaff during the August meeting in Nashville.
Vicki Brown / G
BHEM
6 COLLEAGUE x NO. 2 x 2013
Categories for distributing funds fromthe Young Clergy Initiative will befleshed out and fine tuned by the DreamTeam, a group of 12 young clergy, cam-pus ministers, pastors, youth ministers,and annual conference and seminarystaff with expertise in various areasrelating to discernment and young clergyissues.
GBHEM’s board of directors will thenevaluate and give input for the plan,which focuses on leveraging the fundsby giving grants to people who havesome kind of track record of successacross The United Methodist Church.
The $7 million Young Clergy Initiativewas created to encourage young adultsin the U.S. who wish to respond to God’scall to ordained ministry and wasapproved at the 2012 General Confer-ence, with the funds to come from
money previously budgeted for generalchurch agencies. The Rev. Trip Lowery,GBHEM’s director of Young Adult Min-istry Discernment and Enlistment, notedthat the actual funds available aredependent on apportionment fund col-lections and is more likely to about $5.2million.
“We are looking for ideas of imagina-tion, not just trying to fix a static prob-lem,” said the Rev. Bridgette Young Ross,GBHEM’s assistant general secretary forCollegiate Ministry. “We are trying to takea mid-twentieth century church into thetwenty-second century.”
During the August Board meeting,elected members and staff discussed thesix categories proposed for grantrequests, and decided those and other
plans should be refined by the DreamTeam, which will meet in September inNashville.
“There’s no silver bullet to the youngclergy crisis. The various cultures andcontexts of the church’s ministry arenearly beyond comprehension. The
places and ways we identify, affirm, andassist those whom God is calling intoordained leadership should be just asvaried,” Lowery said.
Jodi Cataldo, director of LeadershipDevelopment for the Dakotas AnnualConference, said the six proposed cate-gories look too structured and institu-tional. She and other directors proposedthat the Dream Team come up withbroader concepts that could spark theimagination.
Barrie M. Tritle, senior pastor of IowaCity First United Methodist Church, saidhe liked the broader concept of “imagi-nation grants,” while other board mem-bers suggested only having threecategories.
One suggestion was call, recruitment,
and formation.“The beauty in the way we are think-
ing about spending this money is thatbishops, district superintendents, andannual conferences can apply formoney,” said Bishop Jim Dorff, GBHEM’spresident.
The Rev. Beth Ludlum, GBHEM’sdirector of Student Faith and LeadershipFormation, said the staff task force thathas been working on how to use thefunds was trying to dig in and figure outwhat is actually transferable. “It’s easy toshare best practices, but those may notwork in another context,” she said.
“There isn’t a single way to fix this;we are creating a different culture,” Lud-lum said. “We don’t want to do what’sbeen done elsewhere. We cannot replicate $20 million and $70 million programs.”
The Rev. Meg Lassiat, GBHEM’s direc-tor of Candidacy Mentoring and Confer-ence Relations, noted that the legislationcalled the initiative “a three-quadrenniaeffort.”
Another part of the overall youngclergy effort is the Seminary Indebted-ness Task Force, charged with creating adenominational plan to reduce andeliminate seminary debt for certifiedcandidates for ordained ministry. A finalreport on seminary debt is to be pre-sented to the Council of Bishops andConnectional Table in 2015 and submit-ted to the 2016 General Conference.
Further details, including a timeline and membership of the Dream Team, can be found atwww.explorecalling.org/yci.
Board Approves Framework for Young Clergy Initiative
“There isn’t a single way to fix this; we are creating a different culture.”
Trip Lowery addresses board members and staff via Skype.
Western N.C. BOM Gives $6,000 to E-Reader ProjectA check for $6,000 from the Western
North Carolina Annual Conference
Board of Ordained Ministry was pre-
sented to the E-reader project for theo-
logical schools in Africa, bringing the
total collected for the project to
$47,725.
The Rev. Kim Ingram, director of
Ministerial Services and Conference
Secretary for the Western North
Carolina Conference and a member of
GBHEM’s board of directors presented
the check to Bishop David Yemba, a
Board member himself and chancellor
of Africa University, during the August
meeting in Nashville.
Ingram said she was impressed with
the pilot project to raise $30,000 for E-
readers and theological texts for the
Gbarnga School of Theology in Liberia,
and asked the members of the confer-
ence Board of Ordained Ministry to
support the project financially. Mem-
bers of GBHEM’s board had heard a
presentation about the project during
their spring meeting.
“The amount raised represents one
E-reader and text for each of the 20
people being ordained as deacons and
elders this year in Western North Car-
olina, given by the members of the
Board of Ordained Ministry and the
churches they represent,” Ingram said.
The donation was made in honor of
those newly ordained clergy.
The joint project of GBHEM and the
GBOD has since been expanded to raise
money for E-readers for other seminar-
ies in Africa as well.
Amos Nascimento, GBHEM’s special
assistant to the general secretary for
Global Education and New Initiatives,
said $41,725 had been raised prior to
the check Ingram presented. The total
includes a $25,000 challenge grant.
The project began as an effort to
raise $30,000 to buy 100 electronic
books and the texts the students need
for the seminary in Gbarnga, which was
occupied by rebel forces and badly
damaged by soldiers during Liberia’s
civil war.
The two United Methodist general
agencies funded the pilot project initial-
ly, and the donations will be used to
offset the costs and expand the program
to other seminaries in Africa.
The United Methodist Publishing
House is providing a significant num-
ber of titles at no cost as part of their
commitment to Central Conferences.
The major cost of the project is the
content—books on subjects including
Hebrew and Greek, systematic theology,
pastoral care, psychology, research,
leadership, reference books, even math
and physical science, and military sci-
ence. The cost of the content is around
$1,200 retail, but discounts from ven-
dors have reduced that to a little more
than $200 per E-reader for the texts
and content. So texts worth $200, plus
$69 for the E-reader and a small
amount for on-site management of the
project averages out to about $300 per
electronic book.
— Vicki Brown
7WWW.GBHEM.ORG
Learn more about this project or donate online at www.gbhem.org or www.gbod.org/ereaderproject.
Kim Ingram presented a $6,000 check for the E-reader project for theological schools in Africato Bishop David Yemba.
Donn
ie Reed for G
BHEM
Mentoring, ScholarshipProgram Has Six Graduates This YearHELEN NEINAST
Six seminary students involved in a
scholarship and mentoring program for
racial-ethnic students who plan to be
ordained as deacons or elders in The
United Methodist Church are receiving
their M.Div. degree this year. That
brings the total of graduates who took
part in the Journey Toward Ordained
Ministry program to 19 since it began
in 2004.
Students say they learn a great deal
at the retreats and from mentors, in
addition to the financial support of a
$5,000 scholarship each year. Analisa
Barrington of Perkins School of
Theology credited the program with
enabling her to interact with people
from many different ethnic and eco-
nomic backgrounds.
“One of the greatest things I learned
is that no matter what your back-
ground, when your identity is centered
in Christ, you have so much more in
common that you ever realized.” Bar-
rington graduated this year from
Perkins in Dallas, where she also serves
as youth pastor at Highland Park Unit-
ed Methodist.
The Journey Toward Ordained Min-
istry program, sponsored by GBHEM,
combines much-needed scholarship
support with ongoing mentoring by
committed United Methodist clergy.
Additionally, scholars, mentors, and
GBHEM staff spend time in retreat
together for reflection and discernment.
As important as this support is for
seminary students, it’s not just the stu-
dents who benefit. The United
Methodist Church itself, in great need
of racial-ethnic clergy, is experiencing
the value and benefit of committing
time and resources to these seminari-
ans. According to 2011 statistics from
GCFA, 11.4 percent of UM clergy are
racial ethnic.
“Diversity is and has always been an
important value of The United
Methodist Church, and diversity in the
pulpit is an extremely important piece
of living out that value. The Journey
Toward Ordained Ministry is a pivotal
program for our church,” said the Rev.
Trip Lowery, Director of Young Adult
Ministry Discernment and Enlistment.
Lowery said statistics on the num-
ber of racial-ethnic clergy and candi-
dates for ordination who indicate that
identifying, supporting, and nurturing
racial-ethnic young adults toward
ordained ministry is critical.
Candidacy figures show that about
30 percent of candidates for ordination
in the UMC are under 30, and about 18
percent of that 30 percent are racial
ethnic, Lowery said.
“To meet the leadership needs of the
church in the coming years, we have to
be intentional and committed to these
seminarians and their training. Assign-
ing mentors, bringing students and
mentors together, giving these students
the best support we can—this is key to
our future,” says Lowery.
Allyson Collinsworth, executive
director of GBHEM’s Office of Loans
and Scholarships, said the $5,000
awarded to each JTOM recipient is con-
sidered a significant amount when
8 COLLEAGUE x NO. 2 x 2013
Six seminary students involved in the Journey Toward Ordained Ministry program are receiving their M.Div. degrees this year.
compared to the average awards from
other scholarship programs through
GBHEM, but said the mentoring com-
ponent is also invaluable.
“The students are able to form their
own community that is safe and specifi-
cally helpful in dealing with realities
within the context of ministry within
their ethnic communities,” Collins-
worth said.
The six 2013 graduates come from a
broad range of racial-ethnic back-
grounds.
John Wang, a graduate of The Divin-
ity School, Duke University, begins serv-
ing this summer as a licensed local pas-
tor at Highland Park United Methodist
Church in Spokane, Wash.
“My mentor stressed the need for a
disciplined and healthy prayer life
through prayer and Scripture. She also
advised me to develop a support net-
work of close relationships with local
pastors in my area,” Wang said. “My
mentor helped me to see . . . the impor-
tance of rest and care for myself to
avoid physical and emotional burnout.”
Tariq Cummings, a graduate of
Gammon Theological Seminary in
Atlanta summed up his experience in
the JTOM program this way: “Through
the time spent with my sisters and
brothers, I have learned to always be
open to the power and presence of
God’s grace. From my mentors, I have
learned that God will definitely give
you the grace for the journey. Through
the time spent in retreat, I have
acquired skills in leadership that are
sure to help me in the days to come.”
Cummings will be appointed in the
North Georgia Annual Conference to
Allgood Road United Methodist Church
in Stone Mountain, Ga. He also plans to
continue his candidacy toward elder’s
orders in The United Methodist
Church.
Perkins School of Theology gradu-
ate Paul Trejo will be working over the
summer with Southwest Texas Confer-
ence staff for youth and college min-
istries.
The other two graduates this year
are Tabitha Mock-Scott, Gammon The-
ological Seminary, and Ji Hun Yoo of
Boston University School of Theology.
Funding for this program comes
from local church offerings on World
Communion Sunday, held the first Sun-
day in October (October 6 this year).
The receipts allocated to GBHEM are
earmarked for scholarships for racial-
ethnic students.
Neinast is a UM elder and freelance writerwho lives in Lakemont, Ga.
9WWW.GBHEM.ORG
How You Can HelpTo learn more about supportingracial-ethnic seminarians, visit
www.umcgiving.org/wcs. You candonate online, order resources toobserve the World CommunionSunday offering, or read inspiringstories of students who benefited.
“It’s not just the students who benefit. Giving these students the best support we can—
this is key to our future.”
E-Book FeaturesWomen Pastors Breaking Through theStained Glass CeilingRENEE ELDER
In Breaking Through the Stained Glass
Ceiling: Women Pastoring Large Churches,
editors HiRho Park and Susan Will-
hauck bring together a series of essays
that offer a rare glimpse into the daily
lives and spiritual journeys of trailblaz-
ing clergywomen.
Published by GBHEM, the book’s
contributors all have served as lead
pastors in congregations with 1,000 or
more members.
“These trailblazers’ stories are
intriguing and full of wisdom, passion,
and grace as they strive to perform top-
level executive leadership while at the
same time juggling spirituality, work,
family, and their personal life,” the Rev.
HiRho Park said. “I hope their experi-
ences will shed light on a new para-
digm of ministry leadership and inform
the future pedagogical practice of theo-
logical education.”
A frank assessment of the opportu-
nities and obstacles in church leader-
ship for women, the essays are
accompanied by study data from the
Lead Women Pastors Project, carried
out by Park, GBHEM’s director of Cler-
gy Lifelong Learning, and Willhauck,
associate professor of Pastoral Theology
at Atlantic School of Theology.
Among the study’s intriguing find-
ings: the denomination’s 100 largest
churches are still led by male clergy
with one exception—Glide Memorial
UMC; women clergy serve more pre-
liminary appointments than men before
leading a large congregation; and large
churches led by women report higher
membership numbers and worship
attendance.
The Rev. Susan Willhauck said the
essay collection is an extension of the
work begun by the Lead Women Pas-
tors Project in 2008.
“Through interviews, a survey,
retreats, and online dialogues, we
learned how women are leading big
churches in increasing numbers with
grace and aplomb, setting an example
for pastoral leadership in The United
Methodist Church, indeed shattering
the glass ceiling,” Willhauck said.
Bishop Violet L. Fisher (retired)
praised the book’s use of qualitative
research to support the insights of the
essayists.
“There are many books on leader-
ship, but few address it from the lead
women pastor experience or as simply
and critically,” Fisher said. “This work is
the beginning of needed conversations.”
One of those conversations should
be about diversity among lead women
pastors. Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza,
the leading feminist biblical scholar
who wrote the foreword for the book,
pointed out that only one racial-ethnic
clergywoman served a large United
Methodist church. “The ‘glass’ ceiling
metaphor is best understood as a ‘class’
ceiling which in society and church
allows breakthroughs for highly edu-
cated white and upperclass women but
not for the majority of women. Why
does the ceiling still hold in society and
church, despite the many successful
attempts at cracking it?” she said.
The Rev. Robin Crews Wilson, co-
senior pastor of Dauphine Way United
Methodist Church in Mobile, Ala.,
described the writers’ voices as full of
“honesty, humor, and wisdom.”
“These lead women pastors call us
to confront our own preconceived
notions of what it means for women to
be created in the image of God and
gifted to lead large congregations,”
Wilson said.
Laceye Warner, executive vice dean
and associate professor of the Practice
of Evangelism and Methodist Studies at
Duke University, the Divinity School,
called the work “rare and valuable.”
“The editors and contributors speak
honestly with wisdom and candor,
offering encouragement and insight to
their sisters—and brothers—in Christ
as we serve God’s church in the twenty-
first century,” Dr. Warner said.
The editors and essayists together
make a convincing case that sharing
stories and supporting one another’s
pastoral leadership roles through edu-
cational and coaching resources can
help empower women working in large
churches.
“I believe this project will help the
church raise up a new generation of
women leaders for such a time as this,”
Willhauck said.
Breaking Through the Stained Glass
Ceiling: Women Pastoring Large Churches,
available as an E-book only, can be
ordered online through Cokesbury,
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes
at http://bit.ly/17BgWiS.
Elder is a freelance writer andjournalist in Raleigh, N.C.
10 COLLEAGUE x NO. 2 x 2013
Study Explores Changing Role of DSesBILL FENTUM
The job of a district superintendent in
The United Methodist Church has
changed dramatically—changes
dictated by social, cultural, and eco-
nomic shifts. While the work is multi-
faceted and often tiring, most DSes say
it’s a worthwhile appointment.
That’s one of the findings in a study
of district superintendents released by
GBHEM and based on 2010 interviews
with 159 of the 456 district superin-
tendents then serving across the
denomination, plus two former DSes.
The Rev. Myron Wingfield,
GBHEM’s assistant general secretary for
Clergy Life, said the findings from the
study were used in revising the training
offered at an annual event for new dis-
trict superintendents and directors of
connectional ministries at Lake Junalus-
ka, N.C.
“The study identified a high degree
of ambiguity about the role of a DS, and
then General Conference 2012 made
changes in the specific responsibilities
of DSes in The Book of Discipline,” Wing-
field said. “So we focused the August
2013 new DS/DCM orientation and
training event on the question: What
does it mean to be the ‘chief missional
strategist’ of the district?”
He said the changes made by Gen-
eral Conference suggest that “chief mis-
sional strategist” is now the most
important role, taking priority over
supervision and all other duties.
The vast majority of DSes said they
and their annual conference viewed
their primary role as supervising clergy.
The study found that the number of
clergy supervised by a DS ranged from
32 to 210, but the average was 69
clergy at 75 churches in 47 charges.
Other highlights include:
• DSes said they were viewed as hav-
ing a variety of roles in addition to
supervision. About 60 percent also
said they were seen as someone
“representing the clergy in your dis-
trict to the bishop.” Just 39.4 per-
cent felt their annual conference
greatly perceived the DS as a “sup-
porter of local congregations”—
although 52.5 percent believed this
was true to a “moderate extent.” In
general, the expectations they held
for themselves were consistent with
the role expectations they cited for
their conferences.
• DSes spent an average of 15.35 days
per month traveling their district
(though time on the road varied
from two days to 28 days). Many
described heavier workloads than in
the past, especially those responsi-
ble for more than one district. They
report adapting by setting priorities
and delegating, and creating oppor-
tunities for group meetings instead
of one-on-one time.
• Many said the focus of their job had
shifted from bureaucracy toward
mission, vision, and strategic plan-
ning on the congregational level.
Overwhelmingly, they saw the job
of a DS as “hands-on,” relational,
and teamwork oriented; a coach
and mentor to clergy versus the dis-
tant, authoritarian model of the
past.
The 2008 Book of Discipline (which
was used for this study) lists five task
areas for a DS—spiritual and pastoral
leadership, supervision, personnel
management, administration, and pro-
grammatic oversight—and outlines
those over five pages.
By contrast, the 2012 Book of Disci-
pline states that “the district superin-
tendent shall oversee the total ministry
of the clergy and of the churches in the
communities of the district.” It further
states that this oversight “requires the
superintendent to use his or her gifts
and skills related to spiritual and pas-
toral leadership, personnel leadership,
administration, and program. . . .” A
two-page outline of the specifics
emphasizes the role of “chief missional
strategist.”
11WWW.GBHEM.ORG
At the August 2013 New DS/DCM Orientation Event, DSes and DCMs joined in ringing the 1913bell at Lake Junalusaka Assembly to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Martin LutherKing Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.
Vicki Brown / G
BHEM
The DSes surveyed said the biggest
part of their time—an average of 26
percent—was spent on supervising
clergy, which they also identified as
their primary role expectation. Some,
though, reported spending as little as
10 percent in this area. “Supervision
may be a priority,” the researchers state,
“but there may not be enough time
available for supervision.”
The study concluded that district
superintendents are pulled in multiple
directions and appear to have more
work to do than time allows. “Coming
to consensus on the role expectations
for the DS would enhance their ability
to meet expectations and will allow
them to focus their energies. Ensuring
that DSes have time for spiritual growth
and renewal leave is important to the
health of the DS and the health of the
office,” the study found.
Ironically, although they “experience
exhaustion on average once to several
times per month,” most of the DSes
indicated feeling clarity about their role
and a sense of being effective and satis-
fied in their appointments.
That’s encouraging and shows DSes
aren’t focusing on the overwhelming
volume of work, said Michelle Peder-
son, a religion sociologist who led the
study when she served as GBHEM’s
director of research.
“If you consider the nature of that
work—they are interceding in situa-
tions of crisis, providing resources or
support for whatever is needed. . . . So
the value of their work is important and
gives them a sense of making a differ-
ence in the church,” she said.
Wingfield served as a district super-
intendent in the California-Pacific
Annual Conference from 2006 through
2012, during a time when the confer-
ence’s eight districts were merged into
five larger districts.
He helped subdivide Cal-Pac’s new
South District into 12 “mission areas”
where local churches work together
closely on outreach in their commun-
ity—their shared “mission area.”
Instead of spreading his ministry
among 90 churches, he could then
hold group meetings with the pastors
in each mission area “and get a sense of
what they were doing in individual
churches, but more important . . . what
they were doing together, and how they
were supporting one another.”
That’s part of what makes the job of
a DS a good one despite its challenges,
Wingfield said.
“I found that the opportunities for
churches to grow and to be more effec-
tive were many. And that some of the
most rewarding times were often in lit-
tle ways of just making connections or
putting two clergy in conversation with
one another, to share resources or
insights and inspirations. . . . You start
to see direct benefits of your ministry,
not for your own sake, but the sake of
what you are called to do—serve the
churches and help them be more fruit-
ful.”
Read the full study at
http://bit.ly/12pnRNK.
Fentum is a freelance writer and copy editor in the Dallas area.
12 COLLEAGUE x NO. 2 x 2013
“What does it mean to be the ‘chief missional strategist’ of the district?”
Collegiate MinistryEvents Explore Common Strategies“You are not in this alone.” That’s the
message of two training events for new
campus ministers and chaplains this
summer, says the pastor of a United
Methodist church that grew out of a
campus ministry.
Amanda Garber, pastor of Rise
Community of Faith in Harrisonburg,
Va., was a mentor-in-residence at
Prepare, the United Methodist collegiate
ministry gathering that was part of a
larger ecumenical four-day Shared
Space event in Chicago this summer.
These events brought together campus
ministers and chaplains from five main-
line denominations to explore common
strategies for working in the increas-
ingly diverse and pluralistic atmosphere
of the college campus.
Garber’s congregation grew out of a
United Methodist Campus Ministry at
James Madison University. “The creativ-
ity of working with young adults who
are passionate about their faith” led to
this hybrid church/campus ministry
and its vitality in both the community
and on campus, Garber said.
Garber was just one of almost 350
campus ministers and chaplains who
took advantage of a variety of leadership
training opportunities this year. In addi-
tion to the Chicago events, the United
Methodist Campus Ministry Association
hosted Awaken, a gathering for United
Methodist-related campus ministers and
a united methodist campus ministry training event
chaplains, at Iliff School of Theology in
Denver. Additionally, the University
Church Network, in partnership with
GBHEM and GBOD, hosted its second
annual gathering of local church leaders
who serve churches on or near college
campuses.
“We tried very hard to do two
things,” noted the Rev. Michael
McCord, GBHEM’s collegiate ministry
resource and training staff person.
“First, we wanted to give new campus
ministers and chaplains an overview of
all that’s offered to them through our
denomination—conferences, websites,
people, materials, networking commu-
nities. Then, we tried to give them as
many opportunities as possible to inter-
act with one another, and with campus
ministry professionals from other
denominations. Both those things are
critical to training and supporting those
who minister in higher education.”
Drew Young, UM campus minister
at Savannah State University in Georgia,
said that he most appreciated the work-
shops offered at Prepare. “The sessions
on knowing your campus and strategic
planning were especially helpful to
me,” Young said.
Karen Urbanski, campus minister at
Penn State and associate pastor at St.
Paul’s United Methodist Church found
the workshop about size of university
particularly helpful. “Different cultures
and areas of the country make a differ-
ence in campus ministry, but the size of
a university also matters. The leaders
here understood the dynamics of what I
deal with on a campus of 55,000 stu-
dents,” she said.
These were three of 10 workshops
offered in a new cutting-edge format—
the “flipped classroom.” Based on a
teaching model pioneered in 2007 by
two Colorado teachers, the flipped
classroom experience starts before par-
ticipants gather on site.
“We posted online 10-minute
videos by each of our workshop lead-
ers. Participants watched these prior to
coming to Chicago. This way, each par-
ticipant got an introduction to the
workshop along with its most impor-
tant content,” McCord said.
“When they arrived at Prepare, they
chose the workshops they wanted and
instead of being lectures, the work-
shops became a time of rich interaction
and collaborative learning. They really
seemed to appreciate this approach.
Many said it was the most valuable part
of the conference,” McCord noted. All
of the videos are available online.
13WWW.GBHEM.ORG
“In many ways, being in campus ministry is like goingthrough a new church plant every year.”
“We envision a church that passion-ately loves college students as much as God does, and offers God’s trans-forming love to every student, on everycampus, in every generation, says Narcie Jeter, co-chairperson of the United Methodist Campus MinistryAssociation.
“We are here to support campusministers and chaplains, to advocate forthe importance of ministry on campus,and to connect clergy and laity whowork with college students, staff, andadministrators,” said Jeter, the UM cam-pus minister at the University of Floridaand Santa Fe College.
UMCMA hosted its biennial gather-ing in Denver this summer. Campusministers were offered training throughworkshops, by engaging in conversa-tion with provocative speakers, and byspending time exchanging ideas withcolleagues in ministry.
“The three keynoters brought verydifferent personalities to the gathering,but each one had something important
to say to us,” Jeter said. Nadia Bolz-Weber, a Lutheran pastor who foundeda church community called A House forAll Saints and Sinners, shared her con-viction that ministry has to be rooted in tradition in order to be creative withintegrity.
For Enuma Okoro, a communica-tions consultant and award-winningauthor of three books on spiritual life,work with students and other faith-seekers is rooted in story—the biblicalstory and the stories of those who gather on campus.
Leonard Sweet, the third of theevent’s speakers and a theologian, his-torian, pastor, and prolific author, toldparticipants that—no matter what hadbeen done in the past—campus minis-ters are called to “move on to what isnew,” and to “keep going to meet thefuture.”
UMCMA’s website offers an array ofresources for collegiate ministry. Thesite also links to regional representa-tives who are available for conversationand to provide help to local campusministers. To access this resource, go towww.umcma.org.
UMCMA Envisions Church That PassionatelyLoves College Students
Keynote speakers were also focal
points for discussion and interaction.
Diana Butler Bass, author of the best-
selling Christianity After Religion, pre-
sented data about 18-to-25 year olds
that initiated wide-ranging conversa-
tions about how best to engage stu-
dents in the faith and in the
transformation of the church.
Olu Brown, pastor of Impact
Church in Atlanta, challenged the
group by saying, “Always be creative
and risky . . . but have your administra-
tive life in good order.” Many partici-
pants resonated with his message,
noting their own attempts both to be
out “on the edge” of ministry and to be
a vital part of the church that supports
their work.
Urbanski summed up the impor-
tance of the training events and
resources: “In many ways, being in
campus ministry is like going through a
new church plant every year, perhaps
even every semester. The ‘congregation’
is so fluid that something so simple and
yet so important as knowing students’
names can be a challenge. This ministry
requires a great amount of stamina and
creativity.”
McCord agrees: “We are focused on
the continued renewal of campus min-
istry leadership—for the good of the
university, the church, and the world.
That’s why training events and
resources like these are so important.”
For more information, contact
Michael McCord at 615-340-7404 or
[email protected]. To see the
workshops videos, go to
vimeo.com/channels/prepare2013. In
addition, like the University Church
Network’s Facebook page to follow this
UM network of pastors and leaders of
churches nearby or linked to college
campuses.
— Helen Neinast
14 COLLEAGUE x NO. 2 x 2013
Teachers Receive Top Award for HittingMark With StudentsTITA PARHAM
Although he doesn’t have a specific phi-
losophy about teaching, Professor Bill
Wallace says he does want to “listen
carefully, to think about the kinds of
challenges and opportunities that I am
engaged in with students, and to
encourage them to see and realize their
own potential.”
He says most of his job is to provide
opportunities, a little advice, and “then
literally get out of the way.”
It’s a teaching method his students
seem to appreciate. Several nominated
him for the 2012-2013 Exemplary
Teacher Award given by GBHEM’s Divi-
sion of Higher Education.
Wallace is a professor and chair of
the theatre arts and communication
studies departments at Hamline Univer-
sity in St. Paul, Minn.
He is one of 62 faculty members at
United Methodist-related colleges and
universities nominated and selected by
their institutions to receive the award
for exemplary teaching, service to stu-
dents beyond the classroom, and com-
mitment to values-centered education.
Wallace teaches courses in stage-
craft; scene, lighting, and makeup
design; theatre for children; and
methods of teaching theatre and dance.
He also offers a study-abroad course
titled “Theatre in Britain.” His students
are mostly undergraduates.
“I am fortunate, working in the arts,
to have students who come in the door
already motivated and interested,”
he said.
What he enjoys most about teach-
ing, Wallace said, is the moment when
a student “gets it” and then takes off
with a project, design, or idea with “the
self-confidence and courage to see it to
completion.”
“Once that happens, when the stu-
dent sees how to solve problems, then
all the rest is easy,” he said.
Wallace says he was quite surprised
to have won the award.
“I have some very generous students
who nominated me for this award,” he
said. “Many, many of my colleagues
here at Hamline are much more
talented and deserving, so this award
was an unexpected honor.”
Not Just a JobDr. Tracy Andrus says he felt equally
honored to receive the award.
“I was all smiles,” he said of learning
about the recognition. “I gave God a
‘fist bump’ and thanked the faculty
members for the recommendation.
Winning this award has reinvigorated
my energy and commitment to strive to
be the best teacher I can be.”
Andrus is an assistant professor and
director of the Lee P. Brown Criminal
Justice Institute at Wiley College in
Marshall, Tex. He teaches four classes
on criminal justice, mostly to younger
undergraduates.
Andrus says he teaches because he
loves it. “I do not consider teaching to
be a job. To me, teaching is a hobby,” he
said. “I love to present my students
with dilemmas and gather their
thoughts about how they would resolve
certain types of situations and conflicts
in criminal justice.”
That includes providing real-world
experiences. Andrus says his depart-
ment recently coordinated having a live
trial on campus “with a real judge, real
15WWW.GBHEM.ORG
Martinez Is New Director of SpecializedTheological Education
The Rev. David Martinez has been
appointed GBHEM’s director of Special-
ized Theological Education in the Divi-
sion of Ordained Ministry. Prior to
coming to the Board, he served as sen-
ior pastor at El Buen Samaritano UMC
in Fort Worth, Tex. Martinez joined
GBHEM on June 3.
Martinez’s appointment was recom-
mended by GBHEM’s search committee
and confirmed by Bishop J. Michael
Lowry, episcopal leader of the Central
Texas Conference.
Martinez will design and implement
theological education programs to fos-
ter a new generation of racial-ethnic
leaders committed to serving as
ordained ministers in the UMC. This
includes managing the GBHEM/Latin
American Biblical University Bachelor
of Theology degree program for His-
panic/Latino/a pastors seeking to com-
plete their undergraduate educational
requirements for conference member-
ship. Latin American Biblical University
is in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Additionally, he will supervise the
implementation of GBHEM’s responsi-
bilities for the National Plan for Hispan-
ic/Latino/a Ministries in matters related
to ministry and theological education,
including the development of training
grants. And he will work with
autonomous Methodist churches in
Latin America and the Caribbean to
create and implement theological edu-
cation experiences for pastors and
develop new contextual and online the-
ological resources. Martinez reports to
the Rev. Rena Yocom, assistant general
secretary of Clergy Formation and
Theological Education.
Martinez received his master’s
degree from Southern Methodist Uni-
versity in Dallas and his B.A. in com-
puter information systems from the
University of Texas-Arlington.
David Martinez
defendants, prosecutors,” giving stu-
dents a chance to see a bench trial from
start to finish.
He says that kind of experiences,
plus class debates and lectures from
practitioners in the field, “make for
great teaching.”
“I love to see students learn,” he
said. “I love to see the excitement on
their faces when they learn new knowl-
edge. I have never attended a gradua-
tion ceremony in which I have not shed
tears of joy for our students.”
Gerald Lord, associate general secre-
tary of GBHEM’s Division of Higher
Education, said the award aims to show
GBHEM’s support and appreciation for
outstanding teachers.
“Quality teaching is a critical piece
in educating young leaders for The
United Methodist Church and the
world. We are proud of the talented
faculty at our 119 UM-related educa-
tional institutions, and this award rec-
ognizes a few of those who are
especially outstanding,” Lord said.
Award RecipientsIn addition to support and appreci-
ation for outstanding teaching, the
Division of Higher Education provides
a certificate and monetary award to the
faculty members nominated and
selected by their institutions to receive
the award.
For a complete listing of
the 2012-2013 Exemplary Teacher
Award recipients, go to
http://bit.ly/exemplaryteacher2013.
Parham is a freelance writer, editor, and communications consultant
based in Apopka, Fla.
GBHEM andSocial Media
The General Board of Higher Education
and Ministry now has 2,848 followers
on Twitter, and 1,276 like us on Face-
book (facebook.com/gbhem). We tweet
all news releases and also post them on
Facebook. Our Twitter feed Klout
score—which is a measure of influence
in the social-media sphere—is 52.
Our use of social-networking tools
such as Facebook and Twitter pushes
information out to new audiences and
existing constituencies. You can follow
us on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube
by clicking on the respective bugs
positioned on the website home page
(www.gbhem.org).
President ............................................ James Dorff
General Secretary ................................ Kim Cape
Produced by the Office of Interpretation
Executive Director .......................... Terri J. Hiers
Associate Editor & Writer ............ Vicki Brown
Visit our Web site at www.GBHEM.org
The United Methodist Church
PO Box 340007
Nashville, Tennessee 37203-0007
Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage
PAIDNashville, Tenn.Permit No. 11
Applications for grants to programs that
recruit, train, and retain racial-ethnic
United Methodists for leadership posi-
tions are being accepted through
September 30 by GBHEM.
Eight to 10 Ethnic In-Service Train-
ing grants are approved each year for
programs that develop racial-ethnic
leadership for every level of the UMC
and its ministries. Funding for the
grants comes from contributions to
World Communion Sunday, observed
this year on October 6, or any other
Sunday your church chooses.
For the first time, the applications
are online. Learn more or apply at
www.gbhem.org/eist. Robin Starr
Minthorn, chair of GBHEM’s Racial and
Ethnic Concerns Committee, said
future applications will open on
January 1 and remain open until June
30 to allow plenty of time for review.
The grants, typically $5,000 to
$10,000 depending on how many are
approved, are funded with 15 percent
of the World Communion Sunday
offerings that go to GBHEM.
World Communion Sunday is one
of the six churchwide Special Sundays
of The United Methodist Church. This
offering provides graduate scholarships
for national and international students;
undergraduate scholarships for racial-
ethnic national and international stu-
dents within the U.S.; as well as funds
for the Ethnic In-Service Training
Grants for leadership development.
Applications are encouraged from
partnerships and collaborative efforts
between and with campus ministries,
chaplaincies, and institutions of higher
education and general agencies. Other
ministry settings in the United
Methodist connection eligible for the
grants are innovative, creative program-
ming for children’s homes, retirement
homes, camping and retreat centers,
and hospitals. Programs are expected to
have clear goals and measurable
outcomes.
Grants are one-time seed money,
in an amount not to exceed $10,000,
provided for one year to approved pro-
grams. However, additional requests
may be submitted for follow-up fund-
ing after appropriate reports and
evaluation.
For more information about
this program, go online to
www.gbhem.org/eist. Learn more, order
resources to observe World Com-
munion Sunday, or donate online at
www.umcgiving.org/wcs.
Ethnic In-Service Training Grants Help Prepare Leaders