Friday morning, Rev. Beth Hood, Assistant to the Bishop for the Office of Clergy Life, shared with the body that, “Clergy life is like no other life,” and noted that it is a life whereby “disciples are made for making disciples.” The Office of Clergy Life focuses on the areas of calling, equipping, and sustaining those called to lead people in faith, partner with faith communities, and seek justice and freedom for all people.
Hood shared highlights about two efforts to support the equipping of candidates for ministry and supporting sustainable pastoral leadership. These initiatives are focused on helping those answering God’s call break forth and move in innovative ways:
Co-creating new areas of ministry
A new position has been created collaboratively with the Office of Clergy Life and New Faith Communities. Rev. Hope Ledbetter-Bock, Associate Pastor at Fuquay-Varina UMC for five years, will be appointed as Associate Director for New Faith Communities and Clergy Life. She will work to intentionally identify and equip potential candidates for ministry who have the gifts for co-creating new places for new people to gather in communion with Jesus Christ.
The Esther Project
Through a partnership with The Duke Endowment, a pilot project is being completed designed to fill a gap for individuals responding to their call to ministry — either before or after completing the Residency in Ordained Ministry (RIOM) program. Hood celebrated that the Duke Endowment recently granted the project four years of support — totaling $850,000 — to invest in clergy life through this new program. Developed from feedback from those in “gap” seasons, The Esther Project focuses on offering support and growth for those in ministry during times of uncertainty, just like the leadership offered by Queen Esther to her people during a critical season. Citing recent political turmoil and church disaffiliations as seasons of need, Hood shared that The Esther Project guides participant small group cohorts through training, coaching, personal assessments, and interactive experiences to help them manage their inward emotions and understand the emotions of those around them. The hope is to equip participants to be their “best Spirit-led self” and develop skills for challenging times in “knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do.”
For those hearing a call to ministry, the Clergy Life team also offers the “Taste and See” internship program. The office also oversees the Course of Study and Residency in Ordained Ministry programs. Visit the Office of Clergy Life website to learn more.