Seminarians keep learning in the late hours

After 14 hours in stuffy classrooms learning about life as a minister and the general ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)...

On a warm, early spring evening in Nashville, a city known for its nightlife...

Knowing Daylight Savings would steal an hour of sleep...

At an optional Q-and-A session with general ministry leaders that began at 9 o’clock...

Despite all that, a roomful of seminarians was eager to talk about social justice and denominational priorities. It was yet another hint of the great leadership coming soon to Disciples congregations.

The Disciples Seminarians Conference drew 67 M.Div. students from across the country, representing 19 seminaries, plus two dozen general ministry staff. Open to Disciples students who have completed their first year of Master of Divinity studies, the conference is sponsored by the general ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and coordinated by HELM.

“The Seminarians Conference was an incredible opportunity to meet both current and potential leaders in the church,” said Stasia Krivanek, a student at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. “It was a gift to be able to see the breadth of what it means to be a Disciple of Christ and then to experience a depth of relationship with our colleagues and denominational leaders.”

Seminarians had opportunities to learn in small groups about 14 general ministries. Three workshops on pastoral life provided practical knowledge on:

• Beginning a pastoral ministry, led by Rick Spleth, regional minister from Indiana, and Cara Gilger, resident minister at Geist Christian Church in Indianapolis;

• Search and Call, led by Warren Lynn from Disciples Home Missions and Glen Stewart, regional minister from Tennessee; and

• Stewardship and personal finance, led by Saundra Michael-Bowers of the Pension Fund, Gary Kidwell of the Christian Church Foundation, and John Davidson of Church Extension.

After General Minister and President Sharon Watkins’ opening-night presentation, plenary sessions were structured with the denomination’s four priorities in mind.

• Gay Reese, author of the acclaimed “Unbinding the Gospel,” addressed the skills needed to revitalize congregations.

• Rick Morse and Nadine Burton of New Church Ministries provided the background for the Disciples’ drive to establish 1,000 new congregations by 2020.

• April Johnson, Minister of Reconciliation, updated seminarians on our progress toward a pro-reconciliation and anti-racism church.

• Dan Moseley, a professor at Christian Theological Seminary, compared leadership to jazz – knowing when to take the lead and when to yield to others.

“I feel like the people who work in general ministries are available to me in a way I didn’t know they were before,” said Megan Ammann, a seminarian at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. “They are available, accessible, and helpful and will be throughout my ministry as needs and questions arise.”

While there is a lot of learning, the conference also helps seminarians build community, particularly students at seminaries with few Disciples, such as Gay Behrensmeyer, a student at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in Iowa. “Since I’ve only been a part of the Disciples denomination for a few years and don’t attend a Disciples seminary, it was a blessing for me to be able to be in community with fellow Disciples and learn more about this wonderful denomination.”

The conference also brings leadership opportunities. Monique Spells and Chesla Nickelson, students at Christian Theological Seminary, organized each day’s worship; two dozen seminarians volunteered to help lead worship.

The next Seminarians Conference will be in the spring of 2011. M.Div. students who have completed at least one year of studies are eligible to attend. Visit www.helmdisciples.org for more information.