Serving a congregation that was the cultural opposite of herself had Tina Blake considering leaving the ministry.
“It was taking a toll on me,” she shared. Tina was struggling personally and in her role as a pastoral leader. “I was headed down the rabbit hole. I was in danger of making really career-threatening choices.”
Tina’s District Superintendent (DS) nominated her to attend the Leadership Track at the Pecometh Center for Clergy Excellence. The 18-month program helps clergy leaders go from good to great.
Through the program, Tina learned self-development skills and gained a better understanding of her church and its context. In addition to the curriculum, Tina also gained a sense of community with other clergy members in the program.
“This was a game-changer for me,” Tina shared. “My ministry took on a new life.”
Instead of leaving the ministry or even asking for a new appointment, Tina applied what she learned about herself and her church and spent three more years in fruitful ministry there. Tina recalls, “It enabled me to go back and serve a few more years in that congregation and we all became healthier.”
Tina has since gone on to serve as the Lower Shore District Superintendent and still uses what she learned at Pecometh to lead as a non-anxious presence. “It has really helped me in my role as DS,” she shared. “These are rough times we're living through. The skills I learned to help me keep the temperature down in congregations and to be a calming voice.”
Your generosity to Pecometh’s Center for Clergy Excellence allows us to keep program costs affordable. You are making it possible for Pecometh to develop Christian leaders for the church and the world. Thanks be to God!
Topics: Spiritual Health, Cultivating Calling, Clergy