Church-college conversation focuses on vocation.

About 70 Brethren college administrators, college chaplains, denominational staff members, pastors, and others met Feb. 10-12 at Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., for a "Church-College Conversation" on issues of faith leadership and vocation. Manchester campus chaplain Jim Chinworth said the time was intended "to create a space where we can listen, not just to each other, but to the holy and sacred."

The group was joined for the second half of the meeting by more than 20 college students who have been part of Ministry Summer Service (MSS) or Theological Exploration of Vocation (TEV), programs designed to help young adults explore Christian vocation. Those students then stayed on for a student leadership conference.

Manchester president Jo Young Switzer thanked the Lilly Endowment for the funds that made the events possible, calling it a tremendous gift. "Let's be like kids at Christmas time, rip it open, and have some fun," she said.

Margee Iddings of the Rising Phoenix Retreat Center in Maryland led several worship times, weaving in biblical background for leadership and vocation. Two of the worship times included listening circles in which participants were able to share their own stories of call and examine the challenges, fears, and joys of those callings. In another main session Rhonda Pittman Gingrich, a member of Open Circle Church of the Brethren in Burnsville, Minn., and an ordained minister, shared her personal journey that led to ordination. Del Keeney, executive director of Congregational Life Ministries for the General Board, followed with an overview of Brethren heritage and tradition related to calling. "In our tradition, to aspire to leadership is the quickest way not to be called to it," Keeney said. "It is the community that names the gifts and calls them out and affirms them."

Further exploration of calling came via short vignettes that students shared before each meal, in small-group table discussions, and through journaling. David White of Emory University's Candler School of Theology led a session of "creative play," in which participants created living sculptures to illustrate their perceptions of the church-college relationship. White and the General Board's Youth and Young Adult Ministry director Chris Douglas teamed up to share some of the learnings and best practices of MSS and TEV. MSS has had 110 young adult interns serving in congregations or other ministry settings over the past nine years, while TEV has placed 91 college students over the past four summers, many in Brethren Volunteer Service projects. This coming summer is the last funded by a special Lilly grant.

Source: Newsline 3/16/05
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