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Dear Friends,
Dear Friends,
On Saturday, April 21st there was a meeting in the Conference meeting room of over twenty people including; members in discernment from across the conference, advisors to members in discernment, committee on ministry members, and conference staff. This meeting represented a culmination of over ten years of planning in preparation for the new procedures and protocols for guiding people through the process of discernment in preparation for authorized ministry in the United Church of Christ. Many of you are familiar with the General Synod actions which led to the adoption of multiple paths to ministry. The meeting on Saturday was one that set in motion the building of the new conference wide structure to walk with members in discernment in their preparation for ministry.
Some may be thinking “so what?” This sounds like bureaucracy speak. In fact it is evidence of a denomination and conference listening to the needs of our congregations for leaders who have been trained in new ways that make theological training and preparation for ministry accessible, affordable and excellent. The process elevates the role of each setting of the church in preparing people for ministry, and calls us all to higher levels of accountability, as local churches, conferences and in the national setting. Getting to this point has required a level of collaboration among the three associations of the Southeast Conference that we have not been called to in the past. For the first time it will help us establish common standards in all settings of the Conference, and allow us to draw on the rich and capable leadership of the entire conference for implementing this new structure.
This is also a part of the bigger picture of the commitments from our Southeast Conference to reshape the ways in which we identify and equip leadership for the rapidly changing United Church of Christ. Leadership of the conference has been deeply engaged in the planning of these new systems of discernment for ministry, including Kathy Clark, Marvin Morgan, Tim Downs, Dorothea Lotze-Kola, Barbara Everett, Allen Mullinax, and Wayde Washburn, among many others. Our upcoming annual meeting in Birmingham will be organized around the theme of “Cultivating a Culture of Call”. We will be inviting churches to consider their role as partners in the shaping of leaders. We hope you can be with us in Birmingham for this exciting new turn in our life together.
Peace,
Tim Downs
Timothy C. Downs
Conference Minister
On Saturday, April 21st there was a meeting in the Conference meeting room of over twenty people including; members in discernment from across the conference, advisors to members in discernment, committee on ministry members, and conference staff. This meeting represented a culmination of over ten years of planning in preparation for the new procedures and protocols for guiding people through the process of discernment in preparation for authorized ministry in the United Church of Christ. Many of you are familiar with the General Synod actions which led to the adoption of multiple paths to ministry. The meeting on Saturday was one that set in motion the building of the new conference wide structure to walk with members in discernment in their preparation for ministry.
Some may be thinking “so what?” This sounds like bureaucracy speak. In fact it is evidence of a denomination and conference listening to the needs of our congregations for leaders who have been trained in new ways that make theological training and preparation for ministry accessible, affordable and excellent. The process elevates the role of each setting of the church in preparing people for ministry, and calls us all to higher levels of accountability, as local churches, conferences and in the national setting. Getting to this point has required a level of collaboration among the three associations of the Southeast Conference that we have not been called to in the past. For the first time it will help us establish common standards in all settings of the Conference, and allow us to draw on the rich and capable leadership of the entire conference for implementing this new structure.
This is also a part of the bigger picture of the commitments from our Southeast Conference to reshape the ways in which we identify and equip leadership for the rapidly changing United Church of Christ. Leadership of the conference has been deeply engaged in the planning of these new systems of discernment for ministry, including Kathy Clark, Marvin Morgan, Tim Downs, Dorothea Lotze-Kola, Barbara Everett, Allen Mullinax, and Wayde Washburn, among many others. Our upcoming annual meeting in Birmingham will be organized around the theme of “Cultivating a Culture of Call”. We will be inviting churches to consider their role as partners in the shaping of leaders. We hope you can be with us in Birmingham for this exciting new turn in our life together.
Peace,
Tim Downs
Conference Minister
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