Continuing in Education and Clergy Development’s (ECD’s) mission to serve pastors and our Wesleyan educational institutions, 2024 was a year of empowering college students, professors, pastors and laity to carry out the Acts 1:8 promise. We partnered with Wesleyan education institutions, districts, churches and pastors as we worked together to develop and care for one another.
Here are some highlights.
Pastoral development
In March, over 100 Wesleyans traveled to Texas for encouragement and leadership development at the Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy conference (WHWC). God fanned a flame within them and our team received multiple reports from students and lay leaders of God confirming their call to vocational ministry while at WHWC. ECD was also able to provide scholarships for a few international guests, making their attendance possible.
In May, ECD worked with Kingswood Learn to produce a free online course on Women in Ministry Leadership. This course is intended to help pastors and laity understand why Wesleyans support women in ministry leadership. As a department, we are committed to men and women serving in ministry together, receiving equal opportunities for all forms of leadership in Wesleyan churches.
It’s no secret that pastoral ministry can be both fulfilling and exhausting! ECD believes that a well-cared for and well-developed pastor is a pastor who is open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and ready to lead with effectiveness. ECD focused on both pastoral development and clergy care throughout this year. During our monthly webinars, ECD focused on topics such as:
- leading teams
- time management
- navigating politics
- healthy ministry marriages.
In October, ECD hosted the first Wesleyan Mental Health Caregiver course. This free class, led by licensed therapist Reverend Vanessa York, helped 47 pastors become more responsive to other pastors’ needs in their districts. The participants learned various counseling theories, methods of pastoral counseling and talked through real-life scenarios.
Ministerial credentialing
This year, 312 new people said “yes” to a vocational call to ministry and enrolled with ECD to pursue credentialing in The Wesleyan Church (TWC). There were over 1,300 ministerial candidates working through the credentialing process, including 169 Spanish-speaking students. As TWC focuses on Acts 1:8, ECD is privileged to work with students and District Boards of Ministerial Development guiding them through the process of becoming credentialed in TWC and serving as Christ’s empowered pastors.
Providing quality education and development opportunities in Spanish is an ECD priority. This year, the Spanish Ministerial Education and Formation (SMEF) team experienced structural growth, serving a total of 156 students across eight districts: Chesapeake, Crossroads, Great Lakes, Greater Ohio, Kentucky/Tennessee, Northeast, South Coastal and Tri-State. Kansas and Pacific Southwest districts have successfully re-launched their introductory courses and are set to begin full class schedules in 2025.
Our team expanded communication channels through three insightful webinars, encouraging theological and ministerial reflection. We conducted workshops with Hispanic leaders and pastors nationwide, inspired by the themes in “Marks of a Movement.”
In November, Spanish Ministerial Education celebrated its 4th anniversary through FlamaFest. This event brings together Hispanic Wesleyan students, pastors, leaders and lay members.
Wesleyan education
Each year, ECD is privileged to receive reports from our Wesleyan Higher Education institutions, learning how God is working through their ministries. We were thrilled to hear of new building projects, record enrollment, new majors and best of all — testimonies of students receiving Jesus as their Savior! These are unique days for higher education and each Wesleyan school is committed to addressing the increasing demands while remaining faithful to providing a quality Wesleyan education to students. God continues to make his presence known on our college campuses and within their online programs as they engage students and develop them for Christ’s purposes.
Beyond our colleges, ECD also focuses on the academic training of students, the theological development of pastors, and the support and development of Wesleyan faculty. For students, ECD increased loan-grant funding available to undergraduate juniors and seniors, re-introduced an accelerated pastoral development grant at Kingswood (which continued at Houghton), and hosted College Day where almost 50 ministry students from across Wesleyan institutions gathered at Headquarters to worship, learn and encourage one another.
Wesleyan pastors can now take advantage of a grant for Doctor of Ministry students at Wesley and Asbury seminaries. This degree can encourage leadership development and health that keeps pastors in the pastorate longer and with greater effectiveness.
To support and develop faculty, ECD sponsored the Graduate Student Theological Seminar and re-initiated the faculty development grant. Prospective and current doctoral students may attend GSTS to discern and network with others involved in academic ministry. In May, ECD worked to connect pastors and academics in conversation at TheoCon (Theological Conversation), a gathering on the topic of theological anthropology in the local church context. Dr. David Smith and Reverend Mike Colaw were instrumental in the event, with Dr. Smith presenting winsomely on the subject (online version available here).
It is a privilege to serve the pastors, churches and educational institutions of The Wesleyan Church. This has been a year of equipping and empowering! And we are anticipating a continued movement of the Holy Spirit among our students, pastors and faculty as we remain faithful to him.
