Marcia Meyers of the Office of Vocations shared with Council.  New staff people.  Joyce Lieberman is with Church Leadership Connection (gives direction on
filling out PIFs and CIFs).  Jieun Kim Ssun supports Korean churches in the
call system. 

Marcia reviewed leadership statistics.  One of the reasons for the decline
in interims is the growing number of smaller congregations, under 50 or
between 50 & 150.  Such congregations can’t afford an interim. 
Many are asking “We’ve had our last installed pastor, what do we do now? 
9.5% of those listing PIFs are willing to accept a call to a congregation with
less than 100 members.  90.5% are not.  This means the denomination is
facing a personnel crisis.  Additionally, there is the growing use of CLPs. 
They are now serving over 700 churches and are accepted for Interim training.  Historically, CLPs were a missional action to serve “hospice” situations or “immigrant” congregations.  Now that missional impetus has been lost and the usage is changing.  Some have done very effective ministry, but there are concerns about how this usage changes the nature of ordination.  Study of education programs for CLPs show that most have the equivalent of less than one semester of seminary education.  As more CLPs and no Presbyterian clergy serve our congregations, there is concern that many are not providing top quality leadership. 

The call system for interims does not work well as many interim positions
are never listed.  

The myth is that there is a shortage of pastors.  That in not true. 
There needs to be more realism, for interims and others, about job possibilities, or lack there of.  Rather than putting effort/energy into dying churches, there is a need to position for emergent growth, recognizing that some of the small churches are healthy and lifelines of their community. 

Follow up on Interim Effectiveness report by emailing a questionnaire to
all COMs regarding how the research report on The Effectiveness of Interim
Pastors. has been used.  Koreans are grateful for interim training made a
vailable to them. 

Marcia shared information on the Big Tent Event, an umbrella conference
for a variety of groups (I.E. COMs, CPMs, etc).  It will be June 11-13, 2009
in Atlanta. Pastor’s Sabbath will be April 17-20, 20009 in South Carolina,
sponsored by all 6 GA agencies.