Presbyterian Mission Agency leadership development Archives

University of Dubuque Theological Seminary receives nearly $1 million grant

Posted October 17th, 2018

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) University of Dubuque Theological Seminary (UDTS) has received a $936,102 grant to help support the Clergy Coaching in Community and Context initiative. The grant is part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Thriving in Ministry, an initiative that supports a variety of religious organizations across the nation as they create or strengthen programs that help pastors build relationships with experienced clergy who can serve as mentors and guide them through key leadership challenges in congregational ministry.

Reflections on the celebration of the life of Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon

Posted August 15th, 2018

There was something that felt perfectly right about the celebration of life of Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon at Bethpage United Presbyterian Church on August 14 in Concord, North Carolina. First, there was the community that gathered. It was like a reunion of reunions for African American Presbyterians and many others. We gathered, greeted each other, sang, praised God, read Scripture, remembered, celebrated, and renewed our faith, even at a time of death of a beloved sister, aunt, friend and educator.

Spotlight on leaders: Betty Tom

Posted May 20th, 2017

Becoming a Presbyterian pastor was nowhere on the Rev. Dr. Betty Tom’s radar. She had attended Baptist and Pentecostal churches most of her life and was serving in a nondenominational church, and she was content. However, Tom’s life took an unexpected turn when she enrolled in seminary. As she worked her way through the courses of Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) in Indianapolis, the time came for her to do her supervised field experience, when seminarians go to work in their field of study in a church.

Synod School ministry attracts 630 participants

Posted August 25th, 2016

The sounds could be coming from any busy school office responding to myriad requests: Someone needs first aid for a scraped elbow. Someone else is turning in a missing nametag. Someone else wants to change classes. But this school is different. It’s Synod School, the annual midsummer ministry of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies. It’s a nearly weeklong event—Sunday afternoon through Friday noon—that always runs the last week in July at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa.