Tangling Our Roots: Educational Cooperative Ministry Sites Open Access

Abstract

This Doctor of Ministry project examines the challenges faced by rural clergy and churches in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference of The United Methodist Church. These issues include isolation, small and aging church membership, and new clergy serving in these roles. This project uses the model of the Acts 2 church to envision the possibilities of combining the spiritual gifts and resources of the members and churches while abandoning the idea that one clergy for one church is the optimum solution. The project explores the idea of using an Educational Cooperative Ministry Site in which a teaching pastor leads of team of new clergy, or residents, through a three year program of learning the practical skills of ministry, allowing them to gain confidence and the skills needed to be successful in pulpit ministry.

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School	Candler School of Theology
Department	Ministry
Degree	DMin
Submission	Dissertation
Language	English
Research Field	Divinity
Keyword	Education Clergy Cooperative Ministry
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Roger Nam, Emory University
Committee Members	Brett Opalinski, Emory University

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