Church offering camp and retreat leaders certification option
7/28/2000 News media contact: Linda Green · (615) 742-5470 · Nashville, Tenn
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)-The United Methodist Church is now offering those involved in camps and retreat ministries a way to become professionally certified spiritual leaders.
Approved by the 2000 General Conference in May, the Camp and Retreat Certification option is the result of more than a decade of dreaming, collaboration and planning by the United Methodist boards of Discipleship and Higher Education and Ministry in Nashville, Tenn., Drew Theological School at Madison, N.J., and the church's National Camp and Retreat Committee.
The four groups will provide a thorough, academically recognized development process for leadership in camps and retreat ministry. The option was added to the denomination's official areas of certification for spiritual leaders and was placed under the administration of the section of deacons and diaconal ministries in the churchwide Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
The first of five certification courses in camp and retreat ministries will be offered Jan. 24-31, 2001, in conjunction with the national retreat leaders gathering at Snow Mountain Ranch in Winter Park, Colo. Offered by Drew, the three-credit course "Faith Formation and Christian Living," will explore the biblical foundations of camp and retreat ministry and faith formation.
The course includes strategies for reaching out and welcoming people into faith formation experiences. It will also provide opportunities to actively practice Christian discipleship with one another and strengthen the partnership between camp and retreat ministry, local congregations and conference ministries. The course will be taught by the Rev. Lynne Westfield, an assistant professor of religious education at Drew, and the Rev. Mary Elizabeth Moore, professor of religion and education and director of the women in theology and ministry program at the Candler School of Theology, Atlanta.
According to Joaquin Garcia, a staff executive in the section on deacons and diaconal ministries, professional certification is the United Methodist Church's recognition that a person has been called to specialized ministry and has made a commitment to fulfill the standards of academic training, experience and continued study to serve with excellence.
Other options of certification in the United Methodist Church include spiritual formation, Christian education, youth ministry, evangelism and music ministries. Professional certification also requires biblical and theological knowledge, skills development and knowledge of the program and resources of the denomination.
Garcia said the new certification effort grew out of the interest of people serving in camp and retreat ministries who desired the church to recognize their vocational calling. He said the church has made a commitment to provide scholarships and a structure of support as they enter into a disciplined process combining academics and practice of the specialized ministry.
"Professional certification is the place where the commitment of the church and the commitment of the individual cross together to serve the church with excellence," Garcia said.
The mission of the United Methodist Church's camp and retreat ministry is to create environments of Christian hospitality and learning designed to help people affirm and expand their faith in God and their service as Christian disciples within God's world; grow in wisdom and in healthy self-esteem; and develop lifestyles of loving interdependence with one another and all creation.
Certification in camp and retreat ministry seeks to build upon an "integrative learning tripod" of spiritual and theological maturity, ecological integrity and the development of managerial and leadership skills, Garcia said.
The most exciting component of this new certification is its in-depth approach to developing spiritual leaders for the unique mission of Christian Camp/Retreat Ministry, said Kevin Witt, director of camp/retreats ministries at the Board of Discipleship.
"The purpose of United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministry Centers is different from merely providing excellent meals, lodging and recreation," he said. "Over the last 10 years, I have noticed some obvious drifting from our unique purpose and identity as we have too heavily relied on other organizations and resources for training and defining what our priorities should be."
Witt said while those sources cover the business side, "unfortunately they speak little to some of the most vital aspects of our specific ministry. Helping people grow closer to God and helping them to shape their lives around the way of love revealed by Jesus is often completely missing from generalized camp and retreat training," he said. "Herein rests our power and our unique contribution to the world. We are not really needed if we are not fulfilling our calling and share in our unique gifts with society."
In addition to serving a United Methodist constituency, many church-related camps, conference and retreat centers also provide Christian hospitality experiences to other religious and educational groups, social service organizations, families and non-profit groups.
"The United Methodist Church helps to spread love and service far beyond the boundaries of our sites," he said.
For more information about the camp and retreat ministries certification process contact the Section of Deacons and Diaconal Ministries of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry by e-mail at sddm@gbhem.org or by writing P.O. Box 34007, Nashville, TN 37203-0007; telephone (615) 340-7375.
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