Programs

The Transition into Ministry grant program was launched in the fall of 1999 and was designed to fund projects that focused squarely on the first years of ministry and engaged directly the transition of seminary graduates from the classroom to the local congregation. The Transition into Ministry grants program is an effort of the Lilly Endowment to strengthen pastoral leadership in congregations by supporting programs that help young pastors move through the difficult transition from student to pastor. The ultimate goal is to nurture and foster leadership habits and practices in new pastors that will enrich and strengthen congregational life. Furthermore, it is hoped that this effort will assist seminaries, denominations, and congregations as they seek to raise up a new generation of pastors.

In all, thirty (30) programs, dealing with the transition into ministry (TiM), are currently funded by the Lilly Endowment. There are more than 700 participants (past and present) in these programs: 150 in Congregation-Based Residency programs and approximately 600 in Institution-Based First Call programs. A full listing of this programs is shown below.

Congregation-Based Residency Programs: In these programs, recent seminary graduates are placed in congregations for two-year residencies--with at least one other peer (most programs have three or more pastors in residence at a time). These programs are intended to provide an immersion experience of pastoral ministry including: full pastoral status, a genuinely collaborative environment, mentored/supervised ministry, an intensive encounter with broad range of pastoral ministry, ongoing reflection on the practice of ministry--with particular attention to the habits of heart, mind, and relationality that establish a baseline for excellence in ministry.

Institution-Based First Call Programs: In these programs ordained pastors who are already situated in “first call” situations are brought together (over a period of three or more years) as a cohort at regular intervals with seasoned pastors and other resource people for study, encouragement, reflection, and prayer.  Some of these programs have residency components to them as well.

Research: Programs in this category are principally engaged in researching the transition into ministry.

A full list of Congregations, Institutions, and Research Programs can be found below.

Congregation Based Programs

Each of the following “congregation based” programs offer two-year residency programs for recent seminary graduates. Program and application information for individual programs may be obtained directly from each congregation.

Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church
625 Montgomery Avenue; Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Contact Person: The Reverend Wesley D. Arram, Senior Pastor
Phone: (610) 525-2821
Website: www.bmpc.org

Central Christian Church
205 E. Short Street; Lexington, KY 40591-1459
Contact Person: The Reverend Dr. Michael Mooty, Senior Pastor
Phone: (859) 233-1551
Website: www.cccdoc.org

Central Presbyterian Church
201 Washington St., SW; Atlanta, GA 30303
Contact Person: The Reverend Gary Charles, Senior Pastor
Phone: (404) 601-3131
Website: www.central-presbyterian.org

Charles Street AME Church
551 Warren St.; Roxbury, MA 02121
Contact Person: The Reverend Viola Morris-Buchanan, Project Director
Website: www.csame.org

Christ Protestant Episcopal Church
118 N. Washington Street; Alexandria, VA 22314
Contact Person: The Reverend Pierce W. Klemmt, Rector
Phone: (703) 684-0865
Website: www.historicchristchurch.org

Church of the Servant (Christian Reformed Church)
3835 Burton SE; Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Contact Person: Dale Cooper, Project Director
Phone: (616) 956-7611
Website: www.churchoftheservantcrc.org

Community Christian Church
4601 Main St.; Kansas City, Missouri 64112
Contact Person: The Reverend Robert Lee Hill, Senior Pastor
Phone: (816) 561-6531
Website: www.compliancegeeks.com/ResidencyIndex.htm

Concord Baptist Church of Christ
833 Gardner Taylor Boulevard
Brooklyn, NY 11216
Contact Person: The Reverend Emma Jordan Simpson, Project Director
Phone: (718) 622-1818
Website: www.concordcares.org

First Congregational Church of Minnesota
500 8th Ave. SE; Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414
Contact Person: The Reverend Eric Nelson, Senior Pastor
Phone: (612) 331-3816
Website: www.firstchurchmn.org

First Presbyterian Church
1432 Washtenaw Avenue; Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Contact Person: The Reverend Brewster Gere, Project Coordinator
Phone: (734) 662-4466
Website: www.firstpresbyterian.org

Fourth Presbyterian Church
126 E. Chestnut Street; Chicago, IL 60611
Contact Person: The Reverend John Buchanan, Senior Pastor
Phone: (312) 787-2729
Website: www.fourthchurch.org

Hyde Park Union Church
5600 S. Woodlawn; Chicago, IL 60637
Contact Person: The Reverend Dr. Susan Johnson, Senior Pastor
Phone: (773) 363-6063
Website: www.hpuc.org

Plymouth Church (UCC)
4126 Ingersoll Avenue; Des Moines, Iowa 50312
Contact Person: Frank Thomas, Pastoral Residency Coordinator
Phone: (515) 255-3149
Website: www.plymouthchurch.com

Plymouth Congregational Church
1900 Nicollet Avenue; Minneapolis, MN 55403
Contact Person: The Reverend Dr. James Gertmenian, Senior Pastor
Phone: (612) 871-7400
Website: www.plymouth.org

St James Episcopal Church
865 Madison Ave.; New York, NY 10021
Contact Person: The Reverend Craig D. Townsend, Associate Rector
Phone: (212) 774-4254
Website: www.stjames.org

St. Paul Lutheran Church of the Quad Cities
2136 Brady St.; Davenport, Iowa 52803
Contact Person: The Reverend Peter Marty, Senior Pastor
Phone: (563) 326-3547
Website: www.stpaulqc.org

Trinity Lutheran Church
210 South Seventh Street; Moorhead, MN 56561-0188
Contact Person: The Reverend John Hulden, Project Director
Phone: (218) 236-1333
Website: www.trinitymhd.org

Wellesley Congregational Church (UCC)
2 Central Street; Wellesley, MA 02482
Contact Person: The Reverend Chris Braudaway-Bauman, Program Coordinator
Phone: (781) 235-1988
Website: www.wellesleyvillagechurch.org

Wilshire Baptist Church (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship)
4316 Abrams Rd.; Dallas, TX 75214
Contact Person: The Reverend Dr. George Mason, Senior Pastor
Phone: (214) 452-3133
Website: www.wilshirebc.org

Institution Based Programs

The following institutions and denominational agencies offer a variety of programs and research projects (national and regional) dealing with the transition from seminary to congregational life and ministry. Details of each project may be obtained by contacting project directors.

Bethany Fellowships, (Christian Church, Disciples of Christ)
1020 E. 86th Street; Indianapolis, IN 46240
Contact Person: The Reverend Don Schutt, Project Coordinator
Phone: (317) 815-1790
Website: www.bethanyfellowships.org

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Initiative for Clergy Excellence
P.O. Box 450329
Atlanta, GA 31145-0329
Contact Person:  Terry Hamrick
Phone:  800-352-8741

Disciples Divinity House, Vanderbilt University
Midterm Congregational Immersion Project
1917 Adelicia Ave.; Nashville, TN 37212
Contact Person:  Elizabeth Knowles-Bagwell, MCIP Director
Phone:  (615) 727-3878
Website:  www.vanderbilt.edu/divinity/disciples.html

Episcopal Diocese of Chicago
The Episcopal Church Center; 65 E. Huron St.; Chicago, IL. 60611
Contact Person: The Reverend Clarence Langdon, Project Coordinator
Phone: (312) 751-4200
Website: www.epischicago.org

Hinton Rural Life Center
P.O. Box 27; Hayesville, NC 28904
Contact Person: the Reverend A. Clay Smith, Program Coordinator
Phone: (828) 389-8336
Website: www.hintoncenter.org

Institute for Clergy Excellence
Peer Learning as a Pathway to Excellence Program
4650 Whitesburg Dr. Ste. 101
Huntsville, AL 35802
Contact Person:  Larry Dill,
Phone: 256-489-4231
Website:http://www.theice.us

Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ
New Clergy Excellence Program
1 Badger Road; Framingham, MA 01702
Contact Person: Susan Dickerman
Phone: 508-875-5233

Lewis Center for Church Leadership,
Wesley Theological Seminary
4500 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.; Washington, D.C. 20016
Contact Person:  Lovett Weems, Jr., Director
Phone:  (202) 885-8621
Website:  www.churchleadership.com

McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University
Pastoral Residency Program
3001 Mercer University Drive; Atlanta, GA 30341-4155
Contact Person:  Dock Hollingsworth, Project Director
Phone:  (888) 471-9922
Website:  theology.mercer.edu/makingconnections.html

Office of Theology and Worship (PCUSA) - Company of New Pastors
100 Witherspoon Street; Louisville, KY 40202
Contact Person: The Reverend Joseph Small
Phone: (502) 569-5310
Website: www.pcusa.org/theologyandworship/whatwedo/newpastors.htm

Virginia Theological Seminary:  First Three Years Progam
737 Seminary Road; Alexandria, VA 22304
Contact Person:  Roger Ferlo, Project Director
Phone:  (703) 461-1755
Website:  www.vts.edu

Research Programs

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
8765 W. Higgins Road; Chicago, IL 60631-4195
Contact Person: Constance Seraphine, Director of Theological Education
Phone: (773) 380-2870
Website: www.elca.org