Shively resigns from academy to lead Congregational Life Ministries.

Jonathan Shively has resigned as director of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, a ministry training partnership of the Church of the Brethren General Board and Bethany Theological Seminary with offices in Richmond, Ind. The resignation is effective June 30.

On July 1, he will begin as executive director of Congregational Life Ministries for the General Board, working out of the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. He and his family will be relocating to the Elgin area.

During Shively’s tenure, the Brethren Academy has strengthened its certificate level training programs, received a $2 million dollar grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. for the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence program, provided leadership for church planting seminars, and engaged constituents in cross-cultural ministry training conversations. Shively has provided leadership for an emerging commitment to a missional church perspective at the seminary, and has taught graduate and academy courses on leadership and church growth. He also has directed a joint choir of Bethany Seminary and Earlham School of Religion, that sings at a shared chapel service.

As executive director of Congregational Life Ministries, Shively will provide leadership for the staff of the General Board’s Congregational Life Team and the Youth and Young Adult Ministry and Workcamp Ministry, as well as leadership for workshops, seminars, and academic classes.

In past positions in the church, he served on the Pacific Southwest District Board as chair 1997-2000, and pastored Pomona (Calif.) Fellowship Church of the Brethren from 1993-2000, when he was called as director of the academy. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, a master of divinity degree from Bethany, and a doctor of ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary.

Source: 1/30/2008 Newsline