Episcopal Press and News
'New Dreams-New Visions' pilot project launched
Episcopal News Service. June 11, 2010 [061110-01]
ENS staff
A new pilot project aimed at pairing retired clergy with small, under-resourced congregations with strong lay leadership to empower God's mission locally is underway, according to a June 10 news release.
The project, "New Dreams-New Visions," is a collaborative effort organized by three lead organizations -- the Church Pension Group, the Episcopal Church Center, and the Episcopal Church Foundation, working closely with the CREDO Institute and Fresh Start.
"The Episcopal Church as we know it is changing rapidly," said Donald V. Romanik, foundation president, said in the release. "The increasing number of smaller congregations simply cannot sustain the same level of staff that may have been expected in the past. But that shouldn't mean that they cannot remain healthy, vital and vibrant with a different model of dynamic lay leadership and clergy playing a different kind of leadership role."
New Dreams-New Visions convened to address two key issues in the Episcopal Church: A significant number of clergy are poised to retire; and a significant number of congregations will not be able to afford to pay for full-time clergy.
At a recent meeting of the coordinating committee, six dioceses were identified to participate in the pilot: Vermont, Western Massachusetts, Atlanta, Oklahoma, Eastern Michigan and Southwest Florida.
"I am very excited about the roll out of this innovative and collaborative initiative," said Bishop Tom Ely of Vermont, an early supporter of the project. "Our lay leaders and clergy will benefit from a coordinated approach to what so many are facing. New Dreams-New Visions will help us address the challenges together, in a coordinated way, instead of trying to figure this out as a hundred separate dioceses."
The goals of the pilot are:
- To work with a targeted group of clergy and congregations;
- To engage in a deliberate, thoughtful process to develop healthy models of congregational ministry with lay leaders who work in partnership with clergy who are serving less than full-time;
- To provide resources and training to enhance existing diocesan transition processes;
- To gather research, data, and information to benefit transitions in the church.
New Dreams-New Visions is also made possible by support from the Roanridge Trust, the Transitions Ministry Conference, the Diocese of Maine, the Diocese of Delaware and the Diocese of Southern Virginia, the release said.
For more information about New Dreams-New Vision, contact the Rev. Canon Thaddeus Bennett at (802) 863-3431or e-mail Thadinvt@svcable.net.