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| Allemansville UMC pastor Rev. Bob Ford (left) and Foundation of Pennsylvania Director of Relationships and Stewardship Development Rev. Barry Robison (right) presented Alice Brady (center) with a certificate of completion for the Laity Leadership Academy. |
In 2019 the United Methodist Foundation of Pennsylvania launched a Laity Leadership Academy designed to empower laity to lead the churches of our region in the ever-changing landscape of congregational life. Participants read some of the greatest books currently available on the topic, experience seminars led by the finest leaders in our conference, engage with one another in dialogue, and build relationships that provide support for the journey.
Each one of the Academies is structured around two modules. The first module is one year long, experienced together in several weekend retreats held at Mount Asbury in Newville. During these retreats, topics relevant to congregational leadership in the current culture are covered.
The second module is custom designed for each participant, allowing her or him to explore an area of leadership individually for which she or he is especially well equipped. That determination is made after an assessment of the participant’s spiritual gifts and strengths. That module is open-ended; it can be accomplished at whatever pace makes sense to the individual participant.
In total, the entire experience provides 100 hours of training.
Alice Brady, a member of Allemansville UMC in Fallentimber, Pa., was part of the fourth class to experience the Laity Leadership Academy, the first group of participants in the Susquehanna Conference after the merger of our foundations. For her project, Alice wrote a book of devotions drawing parallels between the life of a gardener and the life of faith. She illustrated the devotional thoughts with pictures featuring the adventures she experienced personally as a gardener. Each one of the devotions looked at some aspect of spiritual life and the insights that she discovered while tending her corner of God’s creation. Her pastor and mentor, Rev. Robert Ford, himself a published author, has also found insight into the life of the spirit that can be discovered by being attentive to creation.
About her experience with the Laity Leadership Academy and her project, Alice writes, “I have been thinking long and hard about all of the topics that we covered. The units that took an in-depth look at our local congregations was extremely helpful, but I think that the most helpful were the ones where we really dug into what it meant to look outside of our local church and area and to be reminded that we are a global church. Looking at how we need to connect with one another allowed me to muse about how to make those connections and from that, came the idea of approachable conversations. Gardening allows for a great deal of connection with all sorts of people, those who have a passion for gardening and for those who admire the results but do not have a background in how it all occurs. Faith needs tending just as gardens do and for some, in the tending of their faith, they have come upon obstacles which have stopped them from growing. Linking my faith walk with my gardening efforts will, I hope, allow for approachable conversations to begin and to flourish.”
Alice is part of a long tradition in the Judeo-Christian faith community, a traditional that sees creation as God’s handiwork; a tradition that understands that knowledge of God can be found by being close to the created world. But it requires some special insight and sensitivity to discover that insight, and some special talent to be able to communicate that insight in words, which is ultimately a wonderful gift to the people of God. Alice possesses both that insight and that talent and has given us a priceless gift.
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| UM Foundation of Pennsylvania Director of Relationships and Stewardship Development Rev. Barry Robison presented Alice Brady with a certificate of completion for the Laity Leadership Academy. |
On April 21 at Allemansville UMC, the Rev. Barry Robison, Director of Relationships and Stewardship Development at the Foundation presented Alice with a Certificate of Completion on behalf of Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi and the Board of Directors. Rev. Bob Ford also took part in the presentation.
The Laity Leadership Academy has been retooled to meet the needs of congregations who are experiencing hardship in this season. Now known as the Empowered Church Project, the program is designed to assist churches who struggle due to cultural shifting, the effects of the pandemic, and the dynamics within our denomination. If you would like more information about it, please contact the Dean of the Foundation School of Leadership, Dr. Joseph Patterson. He can be reached jpatterson@umfoundation.org.
