FLAME (Fellowship of Leaders Acquiring Ministerial Education), the adult education initiative of The Wesleyan Church’s Department of Education and the Ministry, held its first Canadian event.
A group of 45 students, staff, and faculty met at Centennial Road Church (Wesleyan) in Brockville, Ontario, Canada, June 20-24, for the 81st FLAME event—and the first ever in Canada. The week also featured two ReKindle classes for lay and pastoral resourcing. Dr. David Smith, dean of Bethany Bible College in Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada, and Rev. Tim Guptil, pastor of Crosspointe Church (Wesleyan) in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, led classes on Bible study and community outreach.
FLAME is an intensive, weeklong conference of classes for those students 28 years of age and older who are working toward ordination, lay ministry, commissioned ministry, or special worker ministry. ReKindle is a “series of seminars designed to strengthen leadership, enhance ministry skills and knowledge, and build spiritual renewal into ordained ministers (and key lay leaders) in local church ministry.”
Featured professors in the Centennial Road classes were Dr. Eric Hallett, pastor of the host church; Rev. Aaron Perry, assistant pastor at the host church; and Dr. Phil Bence, Wesley Seminary at IWU adjunct and online professor, from Nampa, Idaho. Participants came from ten American states and two Canadian provinces. FLAME alumnus Dan Wallis and Bethany Bible College intern Brock Macdonald led worship.
Special participants and speakers during the week included Rev. Don Hodgins, Central Canada district superintendent; Rev. Lawrence Croswell, Central Canada assistant district superintendent; and Dr. Peter Rigby, Central Canada District Board of Ministerial Development chair.
Dr. Kerry Kind, general director of the Department of Education and the Ministry, says the events offer “a great opportunity to complete classes towards ordination as well as meet other students in ministry from around the U.S. and Canada.”
– Reported by Rev. Wayne Richards, director of ministerial preparation, The Wesleyan Church
