Events

Making Room for New Leaders-The Third Path Dilemma

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There is widespread agreement on the importance of recruiting, preparing, and deploying healthy leaders as a primary requisite for effective, missional congregations.  Few issues are given the depth of attention in conferences and congregations as pastoral leadership.  However, in describing the landscape of pastoral preparation three paths can now be described.

  • Path 1- New Leaders for Our Current Congregations-There is a vibrant conversation already in place for this path in which preparation in knowledge, skill and character-development of leaders is being continuously explored.  Curre4nt efforts of recruitment, training, certification, deployment, retention, accountability and support are being challenged on this path.  The list of stake holders in this work is extensive including local churches, district committees, the Board of Ordained Ministry, seminaries, annual conference probationary and continuing education programs, on-going clergy peer groups, Para church organizations, and appointment cabinets.  Much attention is given to this path.
  • Path 2-New Leaders for Special Congregational Settings-There are some settings such as new church starts, ethnic ministries, and very large/mega church congregations that are not fully served by Path 1 methods of leadership development.  Alternative or additional training is needed for these special settings.  Denominational programs, annual conferences, and Para church organizations have begun to step in to provide the needed preparation and resourcing for leaders in these special settings. 
  • Path 3-Leaders for New Forms of Congregations Not Yet Prevalent-Evidence of the birthing of new forms of congregations requiring new forms of leaders is mounting.  Neither the congregations nor the leaders on this "path 3" seem to live well within current denominational systems based on conformity.  These new congregations are often described as "micro-communities" with values, structure, and leadership different from most established congregations.  There is no developed path to prepare leaders for these congregations or to prepare denominations to welcome and include them.  Very large and mega churches may be the only stakeholders in the development of these generationally based congregations at the moment.

Making room for these new forms of congregations is an issue of generational importance to the church.  These congregations are already here.  They are already feeling excluded.

The "Making Room for New Leaders-The Third Path Dilemma" gathering will focus attention on "the third path."  We will:

  • Gather stakeholders.
  • Describe the landscape of third path congregations.
  • Work with one another to identify the issues facing denominations.
  • Look together for steps ahead.