March to May and September to November 2025
Course Description
Leadership in Ministry is a twice-a-year, peer based, clergy leadership development program. It is part of the Pastoral Excellence Program of the Center for Lifelong Learning of Columbia Theological Seminary. Many participants have attended for several years, with some participating for over a decade, reaping the benefits of long-term commitment to personal and professional growth. This program's goals are to:
- Provide a peer-learning forum for clergy to explore the issues particular to their congregational or non-profit ministry contexts;
- Help participants develop a theoretical framework for interpreting ministry practice and context using Bowen Systems Theory;
- Help clergy and organizational leaders to accurately identify and name the particular challenge of ministry in their context;
- Provide clergy and other religious professionals with a safe and stimulating peer group experience for renewal and challenge.
The Leadership in Ministry online workshops will apply Bowen Family Systems Theory as further developed by Edwin Friedman, author of Generation to Generation and A Failure of Nerve, to ministerial and organizational leadership. Most of the time is spent in peer group case studies led by experienced faculty coaches. As such, participants work to apply the theory to the “real world” realities of their ministry context.
Location
Online
Facilitators
Meg Hess, Rebecca Maccini, Bill Pyle, and Julie Josund
Schedule
Three meeting dates and times will be arranged by group leaders at a time beneficial for all participants in the spring and fall. Group coaching sessions usually last three hours. Cohort groups will be created and contacted between February 14 and March 3. Registrations after that time will be added to the group that works best with their schedule.
Program Fee
$880 for both the spring and fall sessions. Includes access to webinar presentations and a minimum of three group meetings per session (spring and fall.) $528 for the single session rate. All registrations include a nonrefundable $200 deposit.
Additional Information
Limited scholarships are available. Submit your financial aid request
HERE. Aid is limited to 50% of the program fee. Payment plans can also be arranged. If requesting aid, you can still complete your registration to hold your spot—select “pay by check” on the payment page. You will be able to pay with a credit card once your aid has been applied.
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