Lilly Endowment Inc. covers Dubuque seminary clergy coaching initiative
February 23, 2019
University of Dubuque Theological Seminary has received a $936,102 grant to support its Clergy Coaching in Community and Context initiative, which will launch this year.
University of Dubuque Theological Seminary professor the Rev. Dr. Elmer Colyer is working to translate aspects of performance coaching into a model for clergy coaching. (Contributed photo)
Sparked by a high-performance endurance sports coaching framework used by the Rev. Dr. Elmer Colyer, professor of systematic theology at the seminary, the initiative aims to equip pastors with a community of support to develop skills, form habits and articulate a personal vision for a thriving ministry.
The program will be implemented in three communities of pastoral leaders — those who are new, at mid-career and those engaged as pioneers in innovative ministries.
Colyer began a Doctor of Ministry cohort in May to focus on coaching participants, while refining a theoretical and practical model for clergy coaching — which Colyer developed out of years of coaching more than 100 endurance athletes as a USA Cycling level 1 coach.
“As a highly certified cycling training coach, he’s working to translate aspects of performance coaching into a model for clergy coaching,” said the Rev. Dr. Christopher James, assistant professor of evangelism and missional Christianity at the seminary. “Holistic thriving in ministry means looking at things like diet and exercise as well as spiritual practices and pastoral skills.”
Already, two of Colyer’s students have together lost 70 pounds. The Lilly Endowment grant will support the mid-career pastors’ doctoral cohort with both one-on-one coaching sessions and spiritual direction, as well as equip students to be clergy coaches for others.
James is convening the cohort of pastors doing creative mission work in the greater Madison, Wisconsin, area — the nearest city of its size to Dubuque. It’s also where he’s been doing research on new ministries being planted — similar to a study he conducted in Seattle, which led to his award-winning book Church Planting in Post-Christian Soil.
“We’ll be doing a nine-month program, having a series of conversations and reflections together with pastors who are trying to reach the unchurched,” said James.
Participants will receive coaching from established pastors and work together on the challenges they’re facing. “These nine months will be followed by an ongoing community of support and encouragement for those participants.”
James plans on launching the program in Madison in September 2019. Pastors working as pioneers in these kinds of innovative ministries in the greater Madison area who are interested in this program are encouraged to contact him at cjames@dbq.edu.
The Rev. David Rohrer, a former regional mentor for the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Company of New Pastors program, will be leading the third program, a new pastors’ cohort. Rohrer, who is also an adjunct professor at Dubuque, will facilitate annual groups of eight students on campus in their final year of seminary for mentoring and theological reflection in community. During the first two years of ministry, new pastors will meet in person and online for continuing reflection. The new program will begin in August 2019.
“For us as a seminary, we will be looking to gain insight into how to support faithful ministry into the future,” said James. “As the face of theological education continues to change, we’re excited about what we’ll learn about how we as a seminary can best serve the church — particularly in ways that are outside the norm of how we think about ministry traditionally.”
Paul Seebeck, Mission Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Today’s Focus: University of Dubuque Theological Seminary
Let us join in prayer for:
PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Marc Lewis, PPC
Nina Lewis, PMA
Let us pray:
Christ, we thank you for being the Word made flesh. As you ministered to those around you through touch, sight and sound, teach us to make use of our whole selves — body, mind and spirit — to do your work. Give us the courage to take action and the grace to welcome all with a loving spirit. Amen.