Institute for Pastoral Leadership

Tuesday, June 2, 2009 1:30 p.m. to
Thursday, June 4, 2009 12:00 p.m.
Location: The Erdman Center,
Princeton Theological Seminary's
Center of Continuing Education

Some studies indicate that up to 50% of people entering parish ministry leave in the first ten years, never to return. Following are two ways that Princeton Theological Seminary is addressing this disturbing statistic:

• Ongoing research on the role of the minister, including the introduction of a new vocabulary to describe the identities of ministry, and
• Offering programs specifically tailored to these identities, as part of the repurposing of Continuing Education.

As described in an article first published in the Presbyterian Outlook (click here for the article), these four identities are:

• Minister as a spiritual servant of God.
• Minister as a steward (of people and places).
• Minister as a public person.
• Minister as a professional.

It is recognized that seminaries, in general, focus on training in the first identity. The missing function is that of continual formation, where one develops all the identities.

As an ongoing service to the alumni/ae of the Seminary, the Erdman Center is pleased to convene an initial cohort, limited to no more than twenty participants who are members of the most recent ten graduating classes. Fellows in this Institute for Pastoral Leadership will use the identity of spiritual servant as an introduction to the other identities, along with an emphasis on effective ways to lead and demonstrate leadership.

Interested individuals may apply for the program by registering and answering three questions relating to the Outlook article:

1. Given your experience, do you believe your role in ministry is defined by these identities? Why or why not?
2. What would you contribute to this Institute?
3. What would you like to take away from the Institute?

These questions should be answered in an e-mail and sent to erdman@ptsem.edu.

Facilitators:

• Charles Kalmbach, Special Assistant to the President, co-authored the Presbyterian Outlook article.

Audience: Princeton Seminary graduates in the Classes of 1999-2008 in a parish or validated ministry.

Registration Fees:

• Commuter: $220 (program, lunch on Wed and Thu)
• Resident: $446 (program, lodging Tue-Thu, meals Tue dinner through Thu lunch)

Contact hours: 16

CEUs: 1.6

Registration:

Individuals wishing to participate should provide their full contact information (via e-mail or fascimile; below) and answer the questions (above) regarding the article. When individuals are admitted to the program, registration fees will be addressed.

Read Registration and Cancellation Policy here

Download this mail-in registration form and mail to:

The Erdman Center
20 Library Place
Princeton NJ 08540-6824

Send your answers and contact information to erdman@ptsem.edu.

Additional inquiries are welcome:

• Via telephone at 609.497.7990, and
• Via e-mail at coned@ptsem.edu.

Fellows in the Institute will have access to online resources, and opportunities to seek guidance and share advice well beyond the time spent on the Princeton campus.