Lewis Fellowship

I’m away this Sunday, but our Area Minister Jane Lang will be preaching. Jane serves as the Area Minister for the Capital Area Baptist Association, Fransego, and Mid-Hudson/Union associations and is a former missionary to the Congo.   She attended Central Baptist Seminary and graduated with a Master of Divinity degree.   Jane served three churches as either Pastor or Interim Pastor and been a chaplain at a nursing home. I have appreciated Jane’s leadership in CABA and for our church.

This Sunday, we will have some lay people involved in worship and leading in different ways.  I hope that you will join with the congregation in worshiping this Sunday at FBC.

This week, I will be attending something truly unique and fruitful: The Lewis Fellows.  The Lewis Fellows Program is a post-graduate, post-ordination leadership development opportunity for young clergy offered by the Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary through a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. The Lewis Fellows program brings together outstanding young clergy persons from across North America (under the age of 35) for intensive leadership development activities and sustained peer interaction.  The fellowship lasts for two years and is fully funded from a grant by the Lilly Endowment.

Many ask, “Why all this attention on younger clergy?”

Lovett H. Weems, Jr. and Ann A. Michel of the Lewis Center tells us why young clergy matter:

Young clergy also have certain advantages in reaching out to their own generation. They are more likely to speak the language of an emerging generation whose world view and communication modes differ from those of their parents’ generation. They show high sensitivity to diversity and other cultural realities in today’s world. Just as important, the mere presence of young clergy in a church symbolizes that younger persons are valued as leaders and participants… Lewis Center research on pastoral effectiveness indicate that laity tend to rate young clergy as highly effective

Denominational studies have confirmed what we have known all the long:

• Clergy are aging
• Younger clergy are a rarity. In many denominations, the percentage of younger clergy has slipped close to 5 percent or even less
• More people are entering ministry at an older age
• Clergy are burning out at high rates

The Lewis Fellows program is geared toward strengthening and encouraging younger clergy to be strong leaders as other clergy retire.  Thus, filling the void left by more experienced pastors. The Lewis Center for Church leadership explains what will be accomplished by gather younger clergy together:

• Participate in worship and spiritual formation.
• Engage in theological reflection related to leadership.
• Learn from outstanding leadership theorists.
• Identify individual strengths and weaknesses using the best available leadership assessment tools.
• Dialogue with outstanding ministry practitioners.
• Explore successful models of ministry.
• Explore new ministry projects with guidance and support from the group.
• Receive ongoing input and support from peers.

I’m exciting about this opportunity.  I have to thank my friend and fellow pastor, Elizabeth Evans Hagan for encouraging me to apply for the Lewis Fellows.  I ask for your prayers as I travel and learn.