A program of The Sandberg Leadership Center

THE VISION

Our vision is to transform culture by transforming leaders. We will transform our nation through transforming the church, by transforming leaders in the church starting with the pastoral leader.

THE CORE VALUES

We recognize that this ministry is a gift from the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for His glory. To that end, our work and our relationships honor the Person of Christ and are empowered by the Spirit of Christ. We value:

• Healthy Relationships
• Spiritual Vitality
• Personal Well-being
• Competent Ministry
• Church Renewal
• Transformation of Culture

THE GOALS

Transformational leadership—We will instill the vision for the transformation of culture.

Empowered Pastors– We will empower pastors through spiritual encounters and transformational teaching.

Quality Products– We will produce materials that express excellence in transformational teaching.

Meaningful Research– We will conduct significant research that will deepen the church’s understanding of pastoral excellence.

Sustained Service– We will build a ministry to pastors that will continue to multiply for the next two decades.

 

THE OBJECTIVES

1) To reduce the national drop out rate among pastors and increase effectiveness and longevity in pastoral ministry by multiplication of PoE.

2) To create a network of ministry programs that focus upon pastoral heath and excellence.

3) To provide specialized transformational training for pastors, as well as multiplication and development of new leaders.

4) To increase the national awareness of the needs of pastors.

5) To impact denominational health by seeding spiritually vital pastors within specific geographical regions.


THE NEED

National Data on the State of Pastors

This correlates with the National and North American statistics regarding the state of pastors nationally. They are as follows:

• Most Protestant pastors make their greatest impact in a church between the 5th and 14th years of their pastorate in that location. Yet, the average length of a pastorate is less than five years.

• 70% of pastors do not have a close friend, confidant, or mentor.

• 50% - 60% of church planters close the plant and the effort dies.

• 90% say their Bible School/Seminary Training did not prepare them for what they face day-to-day in the church.

• Only 10% finish the race and reach age 65 as a pastor.

• Two-thirds say their congregation has been in conflict in the past 2 years.

• 80% of pastors’ spouses with their spouse would choose another profession.

• Nationally 1,500 pastors leave the ministry each month due to burnout, moral failure, or conflict in the church. That’s 18,000 per year!

• 1 out of every 4 of those who left reported they were motivated by conflict with the denomination or a “belief that church headquarters was not supportive.”

• 50% of those who begin in the ministry leave after their first pastorate in less than 5 years never to return to ministry though they felt called.


Taken from: Pastoral Mentoring Network, Dr. Paul Johnson, Vision New England

THE PROGRAM

Ashland Theological Seminary launched an ambitious and well-designed three-year program entitled “Pastors of Excellence” in 2003 thanks to an initial $1,000,000 grant from the Lilly Foundation. By 2010, this new ministry will ultimately impact hundreds of pastors and churches, equipping them to experience ongoing personal health, spiritual vitality, and cultural transformation. The Lilly Foundation has provided an additional $1,000,000 grant to assist with the continuation of this endeavor.

This initiative grows out of 10 years of gathering data at ATS regarding the characteristics of effective pastoral leaders. Beginning in 1997, we have trained 600 leaders in our Renewing Pastor and People program to become more effective leaders. From our extensive efforts, research, and interviews, we concluded that there are five primary characteristics of pastors who are effective in pastoral ministry. These five characteristics of a good and effective pastor are:

• Prioritizes the journey to spiritual maturity.
• Prioritizes the journey to personal well-being.
• Prioritizes healthy relationships as foundational to ministry.
• Seeks to continually develop skills and competencies in ministries.
• Able to intentionally lead a congregation toward healthy renewal.

The “Pastors of Excellence” program, now in Phase Three, is investing currently in the lives of nearly 100 key pastors who give clear evidence of the five characteristics listed above. Sixteen of these pastors were equipped to serve as mentors to the pastors and our team continues to grow,.

We are now training new mentors, locating new sites, and seeking funding to multiply Pastors of Excellence nationally and internationally. We must raise over $1,000,000 in the next four years for our program to be sustained and multiplied.

THE RETREATS

Orientation & Discovery Retreat Pastors will attend a two-day retreat that will help them develop a self-directed learning plan related to their role as a pastor. They will be assessed with instruments such as:


Myers-Briggs Inventory
Lifestyle Inventory I, II
Stress Processing Report
Spiritual Competency Profile

The retreat will also include teaching, reflective conversation, peer advisement, and assessment interviews that are based upon information received from the instruments listed above. Groups will communicate after the retreat to assist in the development of personal, self-directed plans.

Healthy Relationships Retreat: Pastors will spend two days together learning about and experiencing the dynamics of healing/supportive Christian community. The format for the retreat will include self-study, theological reflection, group discussion, advisement, and peer support. Pastors will be encouraged to set out strategies for ongoing small group meetings, on a monthly basis, with the program partners in their area. Post-retreat peer group meetings will focus on community building.

Spiritual Vitality Retreat: Pastors will spend two days together in teaching and experiential activities that will help them develop a plan for spiritual discipline and personal renewal. The retreat will provide time for teaching, reflective conversation, advisement, and spiritual renewal, as well as peer bonding and support. Peer-group meetings following the retreat will focus on spiritual formation.

Personal Well-Being Retreat: Pastors will spend two days developing a self-directed strategy for personal well-being. Time will be spent discussing the common pitfalls pastors fall into that bring emotional instability, as well as discussing dysfunctional behaviors that impede personal health. Pastors will be encouraged to develop a plan for personal development that includes time apart from the church, spiritual direction, and counseling as needed and desired. Post-retreat peer-group meetings will focus on personal well-being.

Transformational Competency Development Retreat: Pastors will spend two days together developing specific skills and competencies that are common to effective pastors. Time will be spent in individual reflection during which the pastors will identify specific areas of personal growth and a strategy for change and development. Lecture, reflective conversations, advisement, and peer support will be a vital part of the process. Post-retreat meetings will focus on the topic of mentoring.

Church Renewal Seminar: Pastors will receive five days of intense training and will be equipped with the skills and resources needed to lead a church through the process of diagnosing pathology to Biblical solutions and practical strategies to position the church for renewal. Each participant will receive a presenter’s guide and workbook with power point presentations and CD’s of all major sessions.

Couple’s Retreat: Pastors and their spouses will spend two days celebrating, reflecting, and refreshing. The retreat will include ample time for rest and recreation and allow spouses to gain vital information regarding the spiritual journey their spouse has taken with Pastors of Excellence. The retreat will address the unique issues that clergy couples face and provide specialized seminars, formational counseling, and pastoral care.

THE NATIONAL IMPACT


REFORM AND RENEWAL OF THE CHURCH

• Pastoral excellence must include a theology of community as part of formational experience.

• Pastoral excellence must include fresh application of pneumatolgy to pastoral practice.

• Pastoral excellence must include the priesthood of all believers in such a way that empowerment of the laity actually occurs.

• Pastoral excellence must include rediscovery of classical spiritual disciplines and the means of grace that result in sanctification.

• Pastoral excellence must include a theological model that includes both transformation of the individual (personal piety) and the society (cultural change).

• Pastoral excellence must include the personal journey of the pastor and the corporate journey of the community.

• Pastoral excellence must include a prophetic voice both to the people of God and to the surrounding culture.

 

THE POE TEAM


Administrative Team
Dr. Gene Heacock
Dr. Terry Wardle
Mr. Mike Catanzarito
Mrs. Lori Byron
Dr. Lee Solomon
Mrs. Jill Slater


Advisory Team
Dr. Neal May
Dr. Terry Hofecker
Rev. Kevin Thomas
Rev. Eric Sandberg
Rev. Chuck Congram
Rev. Stephen Hendry
Rev. Matt Lewis
Rev. Marc Neal
Rev. Mike Woods