Eighteen Indiana pastors have been selected to participate in the Wabash Pastoral Leadership Program. The Lilly Endowment Inc. funded program targets Indiana pastors with between five and 10 years of experience following their graduate seminary studies, and invites them to participate in a two-year program of leadership development and pastoral reflection.
The focus of the Wabash Pastoral Leadership Program will engage pastors in explorations of critical economic, educational, and political challenges facing Indiana communities, and help them develop the knowledge and skills to become stronger leaders in their congregations and communities.
"From a number of outstanding pastors who applied, we selected a representative group with very high potential for leadership from diverse churches throughout Indiana," said Program Director Raymond Brady Williams. "They have rich academic backgrounds and life experiences, and we look forward to lively discussions of important issues and challenges that face communities and churches in Indiana."
The 18 participants have already been through an on-campus orientation. They will return in January to begin the formal aspects of the program. On January 20-21, the pastors will learn from Ronald Heifetz, who is with the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Heifetz will also give public lecture during his visit.
The 18 pastors selected to participate in the Wabash Pastoral Leadership Program are:
Reverend Lori Bievenour is the Associate Pastor at St. Peter’s United Church of Christ in Carmel, Indiana. Rev. Bievenour is a 2000 magna cum laude graduate of Butler University and earned her master’s of divinity degree from the Boston University School of Theology.
Reverend Grace Burton-Edwards is the Associate Rector at Trinity Episcopal Church in Indianapolis, IN. Rev. Burton-Edwards earned her undergraduate degree from Mississippi, received her master’s of divinity degree magna cum laude from Christian Theological Seminary, and earned her doctorate degree from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary.
Reverend Christopher W. Cox is Pastor at St. Adalbert-St. Casimir Parish in South Bend, Indiana. Rev. Cox earned his undergraduate degree and master’s of divinity degree from the University of Notre Dame.
Reverend Patricia Efiom is the Senior Pastor at the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Bloomington, Indiana. Rev. Efiom earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Indiana University, and earned her master’s of divinity degree from Christian Theological Seminary. She received the Kitchen Aid Scholarship at Indiana University, the Martin Luther King Scholarship from Christian Theological Seminary, and is a contributing writer for Integrating Service Learning and Multicultural Education in Colleges and Universities.
Reverend Kent Ellett is the Pastor at the Speedway Church of Christ. Rev. Ellett earned his undergraduate degree from Indiana University and his master’s of divinity degree from Christian Theological Seminary. He has published articles in Discipliana and The Christian Appeal.
Reverend Aaron Elliott is Pastor at Grace Community Church in Noblesville, Indiana. Rev. Elliott earned his undergraduate degree cum laude from Carson-Newman College and received his master’s of divinity degree from Christian Theological Seminary. He has served as Senior Director of Leadership Development and Mobilization at Grace Community Church.
Reverend Rex Espiritu is the Senior Pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in New Castle, Indiana. Rev. Espiritu earned his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and his master’s of divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Reverend Mark Havel is the Pastor at Cross of Grace Lutheran Church in New Palestine, Indiana. Rev. Havel earned his undergraduate degree from Capital University and received his master’s of divinity degree from Trinity Lutheran Seminary.
Reverend Shalimar Holderly is the Pastor at Nine Mile United Methodist Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Rev. Holderly earned her undergraduate degree summa cum laude from the University of Indianapolis and her master’s of divinity degree magna cum laude from Duke University.
Reverend Dennis E. Laffoon is Pastor at the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in New Albany, Indiana. Rev. Laffoon received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University and master’s of divinity degree from Christian Theological Seminary. He was a participant in the Albert E. Fitzpatrick Leadership Development Institute.
Reverend Greg Lee is the Lead Pastor at Suncrest Christian Church in St. John, Indiana. Rev. Lee received his undergraduate degree from Lincoln Christian College and his master’s of divinity degree from Lincoln Christian Seminary.
Reverend Frank Mansell is the Pastor at John Knox Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Rev. Mansell received his undergraduate degree cum laude from Davidson College and master’s of divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. At Princeton, he received the Parish-Pulpit Ministry Fellowship, and he has studied at the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches.
Reverend Lisa Schubert is the Associate Pastor of Discipleship and Formation at the North United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Rev. Schubert was a Wells Scholar at Indiana University, where she earned her undergraduate degree with High Distinction. She earned her master’s of divinity degree summa cum laude from the Duke University Divinity School.
Reverend Jennifer Steele-Lantis is the Associate Minister at the Southport Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Rev. Steele-Lantis earned her undergraduate degree from Transylvania University and her master’s of divinity degree from Christian Theological Seminary. She was the 2008 recipient of a Clergy Renewal Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
Reverend Amanda Wagoner is the Associate Pastor at the First Christian Church in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Rev. Wagoner received her undergraduate degree from Kenyon College and her master’s of divinity degree from the Lexington Theological Seminary.
Reverend Daniel Walker is the Associate Minister at Meridian Street United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Rev. Walker received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University and his master’s degree in divinity from the Duke University Divinity School.
Reverend David Williamson is the Pastor of the Milroy United Methodist Church in Milroy, Indiana. Rev. Williamson received his undergraduate magna cum laude from Davidson College and his master’s degree in divinity summa cum laude from the Duke University Divinity School.
Reverend Nathan D. Wilson is the Senior Minister at the First Christian Church in Shelbyville, Indiana. Rev. Wilson received his undergraduate degree from Asbury College and earned his master’s degree in divinity from the Lexington Theological Seminary, where he received the Riley B. Montgomery Award in Theology. He also received a graduate certificate in International Studies from the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey in Switzerland.
Pastors involved in the program will meet on the Wabash College campus 10 times over a two-year period to meet with civic, government, business, and religious leaders to discuss issues that affect local Indiana communities. The pastors will learn about a range of topics, such as statewide efforts to strengthen public education, Indiana economic initiatives, government responses to property tax and other issues, the impact of immigration on local communities, and advances in medical research and their impact on health care.
In addition, the pastors will participate in a study tour in North America during the first year and an international study tour in the second year of the program to learn about transnational contexts. One group of pastors will begin in January 2009 and the second in 2011.
Williams is the founding director of the program. He is the LaFollette Distinguished Professor in the Humanities emeritus and he was the founding director of the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, also funded by Lilly Endowment.
"For many years the College ran the Wabash Executive Program that developed potential for leadership in executives in business and industry," said Williams. "The College now runs The Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning that develops leadership in faculty of colleges, universities, and seminaries. So it is exciting to be part of this new profession-specific leadership program for talented pastors in Indiana."
The program will be housed in Trippet Hall on the Wabash College campus. Please contact Dr. Williams (williamr@wabash.edu or 765-361-6336) for additional information.