Church leaders鈥� conference to focus on 鈥楻eimagining Ministry鈥�
Published: December 21, 2022
By Annette Brill Bergstresser
ELKHART, Indiana (Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary) 鈥� How do church leaders think about their ministry in this time of collective trauma stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, racial injustice, economic uncertainty and rising polarization in society? The world has changed in the last three years, and so has the church.
Planners of the upcoming Pastors & Leaders conference at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (bg真人) in Elkhart, Indiana, considered this question as they chose the event鈥檚 theme, 鈥淩eimagining Ministry.鈥� This year鈥檚 conference is designed to give pastors and church leaders ideas and practices to help nurture resilience, compassion and hope in themselves and in their congregations by learning from Jesus鈥� ministry.
鈥淲e know the last few years have been tough for many leaders, and we want participants to leave the conference with new ideas, as well as feeling refreshed as they engage in spiritual practices with other leaders,鈥� said Julia Schmidt, MDiv, of the bg真人 Church Leadership Center, which hosts the annual conference for Christian leaders.
Pastors & Leaders 2023 will begin at 7 p.m. EST on Monday, Feb. 13, and conclude at 12:30 p.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 16. Participants can attend in person on the bg真人 campus or from a distance via livestream and Zoom.
Speakers
The event 鈥� which will include worship, prayer, teaching sessions and numerous workshops 鈥� will feature the following keynote speakers:
鈥� , PhD, is Professor of Homiletics at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, where she also oversees the Preaching Seminar. A former pastor, she is the author of several books reflecting a theological and interdisciplinary approach to preaching. Her work also includes Words that Heal: Preaching Hope to Wounded Souls (Abingdon, 2019) and (Herald, 2022). Sancken will present in person on the bg真人 campus.
鈥� , MA, is Resident Author with in Abbotsford, British Columbia, and Editor of MennoMedia鈥檚 Rejoice! devotional magazine. Also a former pastor, Yamasaki writes and presents on spiritual growth and Christian living. Her work includes Four Gifts: Seeking Self-Care for Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength (Herald, 2018) and (CSS, 2019). Yamasaki will present her sessions online.
Katie Graber, PhD, and Anneli Loepp Thiessen, MMus, Co-Directors of the , will serve as worship leaders throughout the conference.
Schmidt also noted a few new features at this year鈥檚 event: optional daily process groups for participants to share resources and practices with each other or to share about challenges they are facing; an art room; and workshops focused on artistic expression as part of ministry.
鈥淯nderstanding our grief and being formed in spiritual practices are both at the core of resilience,鈥� said Jewel Gingerich Longenecker, PhD, bg真人 Dean of Lifelong Learning. “So I believe pastors and leaders will really benefit from the wisdom and experience our two keynote speakers have to offer. I鈥檓 also excited about the new elements we are adding to the event, especially those that give attendees opportunities to experience personal support for the ministry challenges they face.”
Workshops
Conference participants will be able to choose from both in-person and online workshops; sample titles include:
鈥� Called to be Countercultural Communities: Fostering the Prophetic Voice of the Church
鈥� Challenging White Christian Nationalism in our Congregations through Christian Spiritual Formation
鈥� Coming Back to the Body: Somatic Spiritual Practices
鈥� Healthy Conflict Management Through the Trauma of Polarization
鈥� Marking Adulthood Transitions Through Ritual and Reflection
鈥� Wisdom Within: Coaching for Ministry Leaders
鈥� Worship Beyond Words: The Visual Arts Creating Place
Registration
Registration fees for the event vary for individuals, married couples, and students. Discounts are available for first-time participants, those who bring a friend who has never attended Pastors & Leaders, and those needing financial assistance. Register before Jan. 7, 2023, to receive the best rate. The final registration deadline is Jan. 30, 2023.
Participants who attend all plenary, worship and workshop sessions may earn 1.3 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
Learn more about the schedule, meals, lodging, transportation and registration: ambs.edu/pastors-and-leaders-conference
Leadership Clinics
Also, three daylong Leadership Clinics will be held on Monday, Feb. 13, before the start of the conference: Worship: What We Want, What We Need (in person and online); and Healthy Boundaries 101 and 201 (both in person). See: ambs.edu/leadership-clinics
Located in Elkhart, Indiana, on ancestral land of the Potawatomi and Miami peoples, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary is a learning community with an Anabaptist vision, offering theological education for learners both on campus and at a distance as well as a wide array of lifelong learning programs 鈥� all with the goal of educating followers of Jesus Christ to be leaders for God鈥檚 reconciling mission in the world.
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