VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 9/3/09)—The Senate of the Ministers Council of the American Baptist Churches (ABCUSA) met at the American Baptist Assembly in Green Lake, Wisconsin August 15-18, led by its president, Dr. Alice Greene, pastor of Irving Park Baptist church in Chicago, IL.
Founded in 1935, the Ministers Council is the professional association of pastoral leaders in the ABCUSA “committed to the well-being of the clergyperson.”
The mission of the Ministers Council—to be an organization of Christian leaders within the ABCUSA who advocate for and covenant with one another to deepen their spiritual journey and their professional effectiveness—wasn’t just celebrated, it was the focus for the meeting.
Recognizing the nature of this community, the senate discussed applying the principles of the Community of Practice model advanced by Etienne Wenger to the network of ministers represented in the Council.
The Council encourages and resources Together in Ministry collegial covenant groups funded by nearly three million dollars in grants from the Lilly Endowment Institute. Information on group formation and funding is available at: www.ministerscouncil.org/TogetherInMinistry. Applications for 2010 funding are due on Oct. 31, 2009.
Dr. Joe Kutter, the acting executive director of the Ministers Council, reported that he has met and will continue to meet with local councils throughout the country to provide training in the Wenger model.
Pointing to its historic support for colleagues without regard to gender, the senate voted to establish a taskforce to continue its advocacy for women in ministry.
In other business, officers were elected: Dr. Jeff Savage of Springfield, OR, president; the Rev. Margaret Marcuson of Portland, OR, vice president of Spiritual and Personal Wholeness; the Rev. Shakespeare Osorio, Chicago, IL, vice president of Membership and Constituency; and Dr. Thomas Gilmore, Cleveland, OH, vice president of Denominational Relationships. Dr. Michael Sayler of Colorado Springs, CO, was appointed to serve as the editor of Minister Magazine.
The Ralph Garfield Schell Award, which is presented annually to the clergyperson who best exemplifies the values of the Ministers Council—building community, deepening spirituality, and enhancing our ability as ministerial leaders—was given this year to the Rev. Richard Harris of Valley Forge, PA. Harris is retiring at the end of September after serving 26 years in the pastorate and 13 years as the director of the American Baptist Personnel Services of National Ministries.
American Baptist Churches is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with 5,500 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.