Clergy Professional Vitality

The office of Clergy Professional Leadership Vitality works to promote a career of lifelong learning among clergy. This is accomplished by building capacity at the district level to equip pastors to lead their churches into the mission field. A goal of this effort would be to create a culture of lifelong learning among clergy. Author and journalist Gail Sheely said, “If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we are not really living. Growth demands a temporary surrender of security. It may mean a giving up of familiar but limiting patterns, safe but unrewarding work, values no longer believed in, relationships that have lost their meaning. As Dostoevsky put it, ‘taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.’ The real fear should be the opposite course.” The 2012 United Methodist Book of Discipline says: “Throughout their careers, clergy shall engage in continuing education for ministry, professional development and spiritual formation and growth in order to lead the church in fulfilling the mission of making disciples for Jesus Christ…” (¶351.1, 2012 Book of Discipline, p.232) The office of Leadership Vitality is committed to supporting clergy to engage in this way.