Bryce Blank, participant in Clergy Leadership Academy. Dakotas Conference file photo.

Twenty pastors from the Dakotas gathered at Lake Poinsett camp February 6-8 for Clergy Leadership Academy (CLA), a bi-annual training event for provisional elders and licensed local pastors that focused on administrative leadership in a local church.

“It was helpful to think about how we onboard the leaders in our church,” said Rev. Bryce Blank, an associate pastor at Watertown FUMC in his first year of commissioned ministry. “It was a good perspective on how meetings are chances for discipleship and spiritual growth around the vision and mission of the church.”

Dr. Alisha Vincent, CEO of Easy Saturdays and director of DWU’s Practical Church Leadership Program, provided the keynote presentation for Monday’s session. She offered ideas for strengthening boards and helping them identify their purpose.

On Tuesday, several veteran pastors offered their wisdom in a panel discussion about church governance and leadership. They tackled issues such as selecting leaders, organizing a calendar, and dealing with difficult volunteer situations.
 

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.

Throughout the event, participants took part in small groups and gave feedback on leadership issues. Topics included time management, team dynamics, and leadership styles. Groups also discussed the goal of “ubiquitous discipleship”—bringing an aspect of Christian formation into every facet of church leadership.

Clergy Leadership Academy is held twice per year, once in fall and again in spring. Sessions are designed to train new pastors, make space for worship, and allow clergy to be refreshed through conversations with their colleagues.

Revs. Marilyn Spurrell, Seth LaBounty, and Eric Van Meter helped lead the event and served as small-group leaders

“I really enjoyed being able to spend time at CLA and helping facilitate the conversations,” said LaBounty, who attended CLA while he was a provisional member. “Not only did I have a chance to connect with colleagues in a holy space, but I was also able to learn and re-learn helpful ministry tools and practices. It was a great reminder that regardless of where we are in ministry, there’s always something for us to learn.”

As someone new to pastoral ministry in the Dakotas, Bryce Blank agreed.

“The best part about CLA was getting to connect to other pastors and hear about the common struggles we share in ministry,” he said. “It’s no secret that ministry can be discouraging at times. It’s good to know we are not alone in our work.”