I am at The Cove – a Billy Graham Association training centre. It’s been a favourite place for a few of our pastors, so I thought I’d try it out and get my Christian Education Units here.
Professional development is a core value for our tribe. Most all professions have a professional development requirement – I for one am very glad that my doctor and dentist have an ongoing training requirement.
“Pastors are doctors of souls”, the Dean of Ontario Theological Seminary (now Tyndale) said in a class I took. The context of his comment was to remind students who were pursuing pastoral ministry that our training and professionalism should be as intense and robust as that of a medical doctor.
You wouldn’t want a doctor caring for your child, if you found out that he/she had squeaked by in medical school – you actually want the best doctor caring for your child. You aren’t impressed with consistently late doctors, doctor’s offices’ that don’t return calls promptly, or whose reception areas are messy and cluttered. There is now, thanks to the magic of social media, internet sites that evaluate doctors!
I am a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist, with the Ontario College of Psychotherapists (my status is “inactive”). This college requires all forms filled out on time, dues paid on time, professional development annually, and high accountability. There is a degree of comfort for clients knowing that their therapist is accountable, administratively competent, and professional in all manners.
Truthfully, parents want the best youth pastor caring for their teen, and the best children’s pastor, and when someone invites a friend, they want their pastor to make a good impression. Pastors are asked to counsel, preach, teach, understand by-laws, mediate, etc, etc. We have lots of areas to grow and be better in!
Professional development is about the pastor’s opportunity to be better. Churches, make sure to invest in this. Pastors, it is our opportunity to be graded, critiqued, stretched, invested in, informed, inspired… After all we are arguably doctors of souls!
Find out more about the Fall Ministers Conference
ANNOUNCEMENTS
None
Ordination and Commissioning Services Schedule
Dave Moriarity, Almonte, Ontario – ordination service on October 28, 2018 at 4:00 pm, Cornerstone Community Church, Almonte, ON
FOUNDATIONAL COURSES
Heart of Canadian Free Methodism:
November 2-4, 2018 in Ontario (location TBA*)
Wesleyan Theology:
June 7-9, 2019 – location TBA*
(also available online through FMC-USA: http://fmcusa.org/leadership/courses/)
Personal and Church Stewardship
6-week online course – start date TBA
6-week online course (FRENCH) – Fall 2018
Culture and the Missional Church:
Course starts October 9, 2018
Advance online engagement: Oct 9-Nov 1 / In-class: Nov 2-3 at Barrie FMC, Barrie ON
(deadline to register – October 4)
(*these locations will be selected based on where the majority of the participants reside – so please register early!)
Registration is online for all courses at this link: https://fmcic.ca/foundational-courses/. Those tracking for credentialed ministry should take the Heart course first and then Wesleyan Theology if possible.
SCHOLARSHIPS
The next deadline is October 15, 2018 to apply for the Leadership Scholarship Plan (LSP) for courses taken during both the spring/summer and fall semesters of 2018.
October 15 is also the deadline to apply for the annual Special Scholarships.
Here is the link for both types of scholarships: https://fmcic.ca/scholarships/
CHURCHES IN TRANSITION
Interviewing
Asbury FMC, Perth, ON
Centennial Chapel FMC, Kamloops, BC
Madoc Wesleyan/FMC, Madoc, ON
Odessa FMC, Odessa, ON
Church Profiles available
Contact Susan DePlanché in the Leadership Development Office to request a church profile – susan.deplanche@fmcic.ca or 289-228-1225 (deadline to apply in brackets)
Caistor Centre FMC, Caistor Centre, ON (July 24)
Dryden FMC, Dryden, ON (Aug 7)
West Springs FMC, Calgary, AB (Aug 14)
Preparing Profiles
(If you are interested in seeing the profile for any of these churches, please contact Susan in the Leadership Development Office [susan.deplanche@fmcic.ca or 289-228-1225] and the profile will be emailed to you as soon as it becomes available.)
Athens FMC, Athens, ON (Angel Valentin-Transition Pastor)
Dunnville FMC, Dunnville, ON (Tom Gurnick – Interim Pastor)
Richmond Hill Chinese & English Churches, Richmond Hill, ON
Weyburn FMC, Weyburn, SK
PASTORS IN TRANSITION
Glen Coates
David Greene
Kim Henderson
Jason Johnson
Fred Merritt
Jay Mowchenko
Derek Spink
Randy Williams
Grant Wolfe
Mary-Elsie Wolfe
Wesley Wood
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Youth Pastor – Malvern Methodist Church
Associate Pastor – Verona FM Church
