Pastors complete Advanced Foundations of Church Leadership.

Nine Church of the Brethren pastors who recently completed the Advanced Foundations of Church Leadership process were honored at a banquet in Hagerstown, Ind., on Nov. 17. To celebrate their accomplishment, spouses, friends, congregational representatives, and staff gathered from around the country.

Pastors recognized for completing the program are Eric Anspaugh, Glenn Bollinger, Michael Clark, John Holderread, Bruce Huffman, Peter Kaltenbaugh, David L. Miller, Timothy Peter, Deb Peterson, and Sheila Shumaker.

The Advanced Foundations process, which is offered by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, began in January 2005 and included eight four-day retreats over two years. At the retreats, the pastors engaged a wide range of leadership literature and paradigms, shared in prayer and worship, responded to assessment tools, worked with case studies, and participated in a collegial environment of learning and support. Instructors included a variety of seminary and denominational leaders.

Advanced Foundations is one of two program tracks of the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence initiative of the Brethren Academy. The current group of pastors to complete Advanced Foundations was the second of three such "cohort groups" funded through a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. A third group, currently being formed, will begin work in January.

The Brethren Academy is a ministry training partnership of the Church of the Brethren General Board and Bethany Theological Seminary, and can be reached at academy@bethanyseminary.edu or 765-983-1824.

Source: 12/06/2006 Newsline