Seminary programs offer support for pastors

Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Indiana, is offering programs which support pastors currently serving in the church. The Transition to Leadership program guides and nurtures new pastors during the crucial first years of ministry. This two-year program includes monthly one-on-one mentoring sessions, biannual Learning Events with other new pastors and their mentors, and optional consultations with consultants with…

Mentor-Mentee Retreat provides resources

On Sept. 6 Ohio Conference hosted a Mentor/Mentee retreat for our pastors who are currently licensed towards ordination. The one-day retreat was held at the St. Francis Spirituality Center in Tiffin, Ohio. There were seven pairs present: Mentee Nathanael Hostetter Ressler (Maple Grove Mennonite Church, Hartville), Mentor Dan Hooley (Crown Hill Mennonite Church) Mentee Keith Lyndaker Schlabach (Millersburg Mennonite Church),…

Pastors meet for discernment

Photos by Sherah-Leigh Gerber By Dick Barrett Conference Minister On Aug. 23 Ohio Conference hosted a gathering of our active credentialed ministers at the Upper Sandusky Public Library. Forty-four ministers were able to attend the one-day retreat, which was facilitated by our consultant, Jeanne Zimmerly Jantzi, as part of our one-year review process. With the primary focus on discerning…

Mentor/Mentee registration deadline is Aug. 16

Aug. 16 is the deadline to register for the Mentor/Mentee Retreat. This event, which is designed for newer pastors and their mentors, will take place Sept. 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the St. Francis Spirituality Center in Tiffin. Terry Shue will provide input, along with representatives from Ohio Conference. To register, go to https://bit.ly/2022Mentor-MenteeRetreat.

Conference to hold Mentor/Mentee Retreat

Ohio Conference will hold a Mentor/Mentee Retreat for pastors on Sept. 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the St. Francis Spirituality Center in Tiffin. Terry Shue will provide input, along with representatives from Ohio Conference. Registration is due by Aug. 16. For more details, see the 2022 Mentor-Mentee Retreat Flier.

Consultant Meeting with Credentialed Pastors

Consultant Jeanne Zimmerly Jantzi will meet with credentialed pastors at the Upper Sandusky Library.

Pastors to meet June 15

Attention, pastors: Ohio Conference is hosting a Congregational Pastors’ Gathering at Der Dutchman Restaurant in Plain City on Wednesday, June 15, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This gathering will be a time to pastorally process the MC USA Special Delegate Assembly experience. If you are able to attend, please reserve your complimentary lunch with Judy King at the Conference office…

Congregational Pastors’ Gathering

Workshop to focus on Enneagram as a ministry tool

Ohio Conference will host a one-day workshop for pastors on May 3. “Exploring the Enneagram as a Ministry Tool” is the theme of the workshop, which will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the main branch of the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, 43 W. Third St., Mansfield, Ohio. This workshop will explore how Enneagram types affect compatibility,…

Free counseling available for pastors

A reminder for all pastors of Ohio Conference congregations: Pastors serving in the Ohio Conference have two options for free counseling sessions. Shalom Counseling and Mediation Center in Archbold, Ohio, offers six free counseling sessions to pastors. Any additional sessions are available at a 50 percent discount. You may contact Shalom at 419-445-1552 for further details or to arrange a…

Pastors invited to experience ‘The Joy of Rest’

Dan Schrock will be the presenter for “The Joy of Rest,” a spiritual direction retreat for pastors, on Tuesday, Feb. 16. This online retreat will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Zoom videoconferencing platform. In this brief video, Dan Schrock reflects on the importance of rest in the life of pastors, and he invites all Ohio…

Online spiritual direction retreat set for Feb. 16

Ohio Conference will hold “The Joy of Rest,” a spiritual direction retreat for pastors, on Tuesday, Feb. 16, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Zoom videoconferencing platform. Led by pastor, teacher and spiritual director Dan Schrock, this retreat will focus on spiritual practices, including sabbath. The registration fee for this event is $15. For more information, please see…

The Joy of Rest Retreat (A Spiritual Direction Event)

This online retreat is intended for pastors. Led by pastor, teacher and spiritual director Dan Schrock, this retreat will focus on spiritual practices, including sabbath. We invite you to join us for a day of reflection and rest. See the event flier for details: The Joy of Rest Retreat Register Now Please note that after Feb. 9, no refunds are…

Ohio Conference offers Pastor Wellness Grants

Being a pastor in the 21st century is a very challenging calling. Being a pastor during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic has been even more challenging. Due to the many changes that have had to be made, many of our pastors have not taken a Sunday off since the pandemic began, many have cancelled or shortened their vacations, and…

Register now for Healthy Boundaries training

Ohio Conference pastors and those in leadership, please mark your calendars for the Healthy Boundaries Training 201, which will take place virtually on Oct. 10 (Saturday) and Nov. 7 (Saturday). You may register for the day that suits you best. Training will run from 9 a.m. through 2:30 p.m. Our instructors are Andrew Stoner and Jon Bohley, both trained by…

Seminary hosts online forum series on navigating ministry during COVID-19

Eastern Mennonite Seminary is hosting Navigating Ministry During COVID-19, a free online forum series for pastors. All forums will be live via Zoom on Wednesdays, from 3-4:30 p.m. EDT. Register here. The series is an outgrowth of an April 1 online gathering that drew 32 pastors, including 22 alumni, representing Mennonite Church USA, the Church of the Brethren, Presbyterian Church USA and United…

Pastors explore spiritual direction

On Feb. 4 Ohio Conference held a daylong event to introduce pastors to spiritual direction, a practice of deepening one’s relationship with God and learning to grow in one’s own spiritual maturity. This event, held at Camp Luz, brought together an equal number of spiritual directors and pastors, approximately 20 people altogether. Facilitated by Janice Hershberger, Randy Murray, and Christine…

Pastors participate in leadership program

Four pastors of Ohio Conference congregations recently participated in the Values-Based Leadership Program at Laurelville Mennonite Church Center in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. The program includes two four-day sessions, one in October and one in February. “This is an excellent program that we encourage other pastors to participate in,” said Paula Snyder Belousek, pastor of Salem Mennonite Church in Elida. The…

Camp Luz to host spiritual direction event for pastors

Ohio Conference will be offering a day-long event to introduce the concept of spiritual direction to pastors on Feb. 4 at Camp Luz in Kidron. Led by Janice Hershberger, Randy Murray, and Christine Nafziger, attendees will learn about spiritual direction while also experiencing how spiritual direction functions. Registration cost is $25 and includes the event and lunch. Lodging and breakfast…

Healthy Boundaries training to be offered in Michigan

All pastors credentialed by the Ohio Conference are required to complete Healthy Boundaries training. Ohio Conference first offered this training in 2017 and 2018. For pastors who have not yet completed this training, Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference is hosting a Healthy Boundaries 101 training course Nov. 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Amigo Centre in Sturgis, Michigan. Instructors John…

Blog post shares couple’s experiences

Stan and Sue Short of Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold shared their experiences for April Yamasaki’s recent blog post, “When Your Wife’s the Preacher.” Sue is one of the three members of Zion’s collaborative ministry team. You can read the blog post at http://bit.ly/PreacherWife.

Pastors and Leaders 2019 at AMBS to focus on loving neighbors in tense times

How can church leaders and congregations respond to hate, intolerance and systemic racism in their communities in productive and transformative ways? What does the gospel of Jesus Christ call Christ-followers to do in situations like these? Participants in Pastors and Leaders 2019 — an annual leadership conference at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) — will explore the biblical and theological…

CLC — A place to build relationships together denominationally

In the latest episode of the Ohio Conference Cast podcast, co-hosts Bill Seymour and Thomas Dunn talk with Conference Minister Dick Barrett and Paula Snyder Belousek, pastor of Salem Mennonite Church in Elida, about their experience at the October meeting of the Constituency Leaders Council (CLC). Snyder Belousek describes the CLC as “a place to build relationships together denominationally.” This episode, which…

AMBS receives $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment

Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana, has received a $1 million grant to help establish Thriving on the Journey: A Process for Pastoral Leaders. This grant is part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Thriving in Ministry, an initiative that supports a variety of religious organizations across the nation as they create or strengthen programs that help pastors build relationships with…

Everence offers financial planning grants to more pastors

Everence is expanding its efforts to help pastors take advantage of the benefits of comprehensive financial planning. Beginning January 2018, credentialed and active pastors from any churches affiliated with Everence are eligible to receive a Pastoral Financial Plan Grant toward the cost of a first-year Everence comprehensive financial plan. For details, see http://bit.ly/EverenceFinancialPlanning.

Pastors and leaders to focus on hope

ELKHART, Indiana (Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary) — In a time when many people are experiencing anxiety, trauma and upheaval, how can church leaders sustain hope among the people they serve, even when they might struggle with fear, hopelessness and exhaustion themselves? Pastors and Leaders 2018 — an annual leadership conference formerly called Pastors Week — aims to help participants explore…

School for Leadership Training to focus on brokenness, thriving

Proclaiming God incarnate even in brokenness – within themselves, in their congregations and neighborhoods, and nationally – is no small task for pastors. Eastern Mennonite Seminary’s 2018 School for Leadership Training (SLT) participants will explore themes of thriving and succeeding in ministry even in the context of so much reason to lose heart. The Jan. 15-17 training event, titled “Broken Vessels,…

Promoting Healthy Boundaries

How can we make sure our congregations are safe places for everyone? In a blog post on the Mennonite Church USA website, Terry Shue, director of leadership development for Mennonite Church USA, said, “Recent episodes of ministerial misconduct in our system have again alerted us to the ongoing task of making our congregations a safe place for everyone — both…

AMBS pastor gathering moves to new date

Save the date! AMBS Pastors and Leaders 2018: Feb. 26 – March 1 (formerly Pastors Week; please also note the later dates for 2018). “For Such a Time as This” will feature teachers and preachers from the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary community. In the midst of chaotic times, God calls you to the crucial work of helping to form the…

Ohio Conference Pastor-Spouse Retreat

Ohio Conference will hold a pastor-spouse retreat at Mohican State Park Lodge Nov. 10-12. The retreat speakers will be James Lapp and Miriam Book. Tim Shue will serve as worship leader. Event Schedule Friday, Nov. 10 5-7 p.m. Check in (supper is on your own) 7:30-9 p.m. Gathering and fellowship activities Saturday, Nov. 11 8 a.m.…