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Symposium to Focus on Sustaining Ministry Partnerships

(November 13, 2007, GBOD) — The General Board of Discipleship is sponsoring a Symposium for Partnerships in Black Churches, January 3-5, 2008, at the Marriott Nashville at Vanderbilt University, 2555 West End Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee.

Organized around Isaiah 40:3-5 using the theme, "Thunder in the Desert: Symposium for Partnerships in Black Churches" (www.gbod.org/THUNDER), this event will help participating churches strengthen their capacity to enlighten, empower, employ, and deploy effective ministry partnerships between laity and clergy leaders.

The symposium, which is open to local church clergy/lay teams, lay leaders, district superintendents, bishops, conference leaders, and general agency staff, will address issues that hinder clergy and laity in their efforts to do ministry. The symposium includes worship and plenary sessions that link hands-on ministry labs, discussion groups, fellowship, and building relationships.

"While the design team has prayerfully and carefully discerned the challenges that prevent church leaders from being fully in ministry together, this symposium will move beyond merely identifying the issues that hinder our ministry efforts and partnerships by modeling an action plan for relationship building. It's about building effective relationships and mutual trust that lead to effective ministry in all areas," says the Rev. Vance Ross, top executive for GBOD's Leadership Ministries division.

Churches will covenant to work on one major area and complete a ministry action plan that will be turned in during the closing Worship and Communion Service. These churches will receive follow-up consultations from GBOD staff based on information submitted as part of the action plan.

Registration is $200 prior to December 3; $250 thereafter. For event details and registration information visit, www.gbod.org/THUNDER/ or contact Cheryl Walker, director of African American Ministries, toll-free at 877-899-2780, ext. 7167.

The plenary sessions and ministry labs include the following leaders: (Photos are available at http:/www.gbod.org/THUNDER/leaders.htm.)

• The Rev. Dr. Valerie Bridgeman-Davis, Memphis Theological Seminary Professor of Old Testament
• The Rev. Olu Brown, Pastor, Impact UMC, Atlanta, GA
• The Rev. Frederick Outlaw, District Superintendent, Baypines District, Alabama-West Florida Confererence
• Mrs. Mollie Stewart, Chair, Board of Trustees, Gulfside Assembly
• Mr. Joshua I. Smith, Chair and Managing Partner, Joshua Smith Coaching Group, LLC
• Bishop Jonathan Keaton, Michigan Area, Detroit & West Michigan Conferences

Numerous ministry labs are also a part of the symposium. Topics include: "Spiritual Formation: Learning How to Be in a Performance-Oriented World"; "Preaching in the Black Church"; "Evangelism in the Black Church"; and more. For a complete listing, see the ministry labs section on the website.

The event schedule is also available online at www.gbod.org/thunder/schedule.htm

GBOD's mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, GBOD (www.gbod.org) is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, call the Media Relations Office toll free at 877-899-2780, ext. 7017.