Mark Wenger Archives - EMU News

Pastoral leaders STEP up their potential in first Washington D.C. cohort of ministry training program

Emily Will — Mon, 05 Dec 2016 14:27:07 +0000

Ruth Njika serves as assistant youth pastor, church leader, and assistant praise and worship team leader in a Hyattsville, Maryland, church with 50 members hailing primarily from West Africa. An interpreter assists attendees more fluent in French than English.

Akeia Rossiter coordinates outreach for a church in the metro Washington, D.C., area with members representing more than 30 ethnicities, none of them a majority culture within the congregation.

Ruth Njika works in a Hyattsville, Maryland, church with members from West Africa. (Photo by Caleb Kaye)

Pushkar Mangraty serves as an elder in a 43-member congregation of Nepali and Bhutanese immigrants in Baltimore. The church has no pastor, and Mangraty shares preaching duties with two other members. Services are held in Nepali.

Samuel Admasu co-pastors a 448-member Amharic-speaking Ethiopian church in Alexandria, Virginia.

What do these diverse individuals hold in common? Three of the four attend Mennonite-affiliated congregations. More importantly, the quartet shares a thirst to learn and a hunger to hone skills to better serve their church brothers and sisters. To that end, they come together with six others one Saturday per month during the academic year in Washington D.C., as participants in the The program is offered by Lancaster (Pa.) and ��ݮ��, with curriculum jointly owned by EMU and Lancaster Mennonite Conference.

STEP students shoulder multiple responsibilities. Besides leadership roles in church, most work part- or full-time and also raise children. Mangraty has three children under age 4; Njika, two very young children; Rossiter, three of school age; and Admasu, two in early elementary. The program, tailored precisely for busy people like these, has been offered by EMU Lancaster for 13 years. During that period, 92 participants have graduated.

Practical learning

Pushkar Mangraty, who shares preaching duties with two other members of his Nepali-speaking congregation in Baltimore, says STEP training has built his communication skills. (Photo by Caleb Kaye)

The D.C. cohort — a group that will stay together for the three-year program — brims with enthusiasm. For many, STEP offers their first formal training in Christian ministry; it is open to all denominations.

Participants quickly apply techniques and ideas; in addition to accredited coursework, the program requires eight hours of ministerial work monthly in their congregations. At the end of three years, participants will have a certificate in pastoral ministry, as well as 30 undergraduate credits at EMU.

Partnership with local congregations is a key feature of STEP, said , director of pastoral studies at EMU Lancaster and STEP administrator. All participants work with a supervisor/mentor in the church or conference, and many are aided with tuition costs by their congregation or conference.

Inspiring and invigorating

STEP helps energize its participants for ministry.

“STEP has transformed my life,” said Njika, who grew up in Cameroon. “I’ve grown spiritually and learned how to better relate to others. When the program came to D.C., I saw it as a big opportunity to help me answer the call of God in my life.”

Admasu confessed that before engaging with coursework on preaching, he was stuck in his mindset. “I’ve learned I can be myself spiritually, but use techniques to improve my communication skills. I was closed, locked, but now am open.”

Mangraty had become discouraged in his preaching ministry, thinking it was “too hard.” It involves financial sacrifice; he works as a driver for Uber and Lyft to maintain a flexible schedule. He had reached his limit and found a full-time Monday through Saturday position. But after a STEP session, he dropped out of the new job’s training program and rededicated himself to “the job God appointed to me.”

Mark Wenger (middle) is director of pastoral studies at EMU Lancaster and STEP administrator. The program has been offered in Lancaster, Philadelphia and now Washington D.C. (Photo by Molly Kraybill)

Mangraty holds two associate degrees, but lacked training in religion and ministry. In STEP, he’s reading the Bible critically, in discussion with classmates. He’s grateful to learn more about the context of biblical figures who experienced insurmountable difficulties and sacrifices to serve God.

“My energy level soars in our interpersonal sharing,” said Mangraty.

Rossiter has mediated conflict resolution sessions with techniques learned in STEP, “some successfully,” she said with a smile. She’s grateful for STEP’s practical orientation. Last year, for example, each student preached to other class members, who critiqued them. “We learn here in the classroom, go out there and apply it, and then bring it back here for discussion,” Rossiter said.

STEP was created to provide ministry leadership training for Mennonite congregations in southeastern Pennsylvania. It has particularly appealed to ethnic, urban congregations, and rural congregations that call leaders from within their ranks. The program is geared to adults without a bachelor’s degree. The curriculum includes coursework on Bible study skills, the history of Christianity, sermon preparation, pastoral care, peace and conflict transformation, and spiritual formation.

The mix of “cradle Mennonites from the farmland and Vietnamese immigrants and other urban Mennonites in the same classroom makes for interesting and sometimes challenging discussion,” Wenger said. “Each side asks questions that don’t ordinarily get asked.”

“STEP’s original vision was for those who are called into pastoring who haven’t had the chance to go to college or seminary,” he added. “But it’s also been beneficial for lay leaders.” Only recently has STEP extended from Lancaster to Washington D.C., and before that, to Philadelphia.

“For the past 20 years, I’ve been too busy to go to school,” said Admasu. “The Lord told me one day I would go, and I think STEP is the Lord’s answer.”

Editor’s note: STEP participants and their congregations include Samuel Admasu, Amanuel Ethiopian Evangelical Church, Alexandria, Va. (unaffiliated); Pushkar Mangraty, Unity Christian Church of Baltimore, Dundalk, Md. (Lancaster Conference); Ruth Njika, Christian Missionary Fellowship International, Hyattsville, Md. (Franklin Conference); and Akeia Rossiter, Capital Christian Fellowship, Lanham, Md. (Lancaster Conference).

Pastoral Studies in Pennsylvania

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:04:10 +0000

Mark Wenger, PhD, director of Pastoral Studies, talks about the unique characteristics of Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Pennsylvania. Eastern Mennonite Seminary has a strong record of preparing pastors, mission workers and church leaders. EMS in Pennsylvania is flexible. You can choose what is right for you from among several programs of study, depending on your level of education, experience, interest and goals.

http://www.emu.edu/lancaster/seminary

Study and Training for Effective Pastoral ministry (STEP) program highlights

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 19:17:04 +0000

STEP is a partnership between Lancaster Mennonite Conference and ��ݮ�� in Pennsylvania. STEP provides training for people who are licensed for pastoral ministry- or have been encouraged to consider pastoral ministry- who may not have college, Bible school, or seminary training. STEP combines spiritual and personal formation with content-based learning in Bible, theology, leadership, and ministry skills in a very practical way. The STEP curriculum is specifically designed for adult learners. Much of the in-class time is devoted to reflection on actual ministry experience based on the readings and the teaching content for the day.

http://emu.edu/lancaster/seminary/step

STEP offers cohort in Philadelphia

Laura Amstutz — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Eastern Mennonite Seminary at Lancaster’s STEP program (Study and Training for Effective Pastoral Ministry) will offer its first cohort session in Philadelphia this September.

This cohort is a move by the seminary to offer pastoral training to urban and racially and ethnically diverse pastors.

Students from EMS Pennsylvania’s 2010 STEP cohort Khon Tran (right) and Luc Pham (left).

"This is a big deal for us," said EMS at Lancaster director Mark R. Wenger. "EMU is responding to dynamic church growth, community outreach and ministry in Philadelphia."

STEP appeals to Philadelphia pastors

Every year since STEP began in 2004 church leaders from Philadelphia have participated in the program. Previously they drove to Lancaster each month.

"Moving STEP to Philadelphia fits with my vision for taking high quality pastoral training as close to the congregation as possible," Dr. Wenger said.

Karen Jantzi, adjunct instructor at Temple University and member of Oxford Circle Mennonite Church, served on the advisory committee for the STEP Philadelphia cohort. She will also be an instructor in the program.

Program nurtures urban leadership

"I believe that everyone needs to have an introduction to basic theology and biblical studies," said Dr. Jantzi. "I’m excited about this program because it indicates that the Pennsylvania conferences and the denomination understand the importance of nurturing leadership within the city."

The advisory committee, made up of pastors and leaders in Philadelphia, helped Wenger and EMS determine the feasibility of starting a cohort in the city. They also helped shape the program to make it relevant to the urban context.

Wenger is expecting 8-15 persons for this year’s cohort in Philadelphia. Participants will be Anglo, African-American, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Latino. While most will be from urban settings, at least one pastor from a rural congregation will join them.

Cohort will focus on urban context

"The sociological study by Conrad Kanagy titled ‘Roadsigns for the Journey’ spoke about racial/ethnic congregations being the growing edge of the denomination. This is what I’m observing in Philadelphia," said Wenger.

Working in an urban setting will have some challenges," he continued. "One is that many of these congregations don’t have the resources that more rural congregations have to help educate their pastors."

To help with affordability, Wenger is raising money to provide $1,000 scholarships for each participant.

The STEP program (Study and Training for Effective Pastoral ministry), a partnership between Lancaster Mennonite Conference and ��ݮ��, provides training for people who are licensed for pastoral ministry or who have been encouraged to consider pastoral work, but may not have had college, Bible school, or seminary. For more information on the STEP program, contact Mark Wenger at 717-397-5190 or by email at wengermr@emu.edu

Seminary offers evening and weekend classes

Jim Bishop — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Want to learn more about theology, the Old Testament, Anabaptist history or spiritual warfare? Eastern Mennonite Seminary at Lancaster is offering evening and weekend courses on these topics.

The following classes will be taught at the Lancaster site of ��ݮ��, 1846 Charter Lane. (Map and directions)

Brinton L. Rutherford, seminary instructor, will teach "Systematic Theology II" on Tuesday evenings, 6:30-9:30, Sept. 8-Dec. 15.
Mark J. H. Fretz, seminary instructor, will teach "Old Testament: Text in Context," 6:30-9:30 Thursday evenings, Sept. 10-Dec. 15.
Nelson J. Assis, director of the Katartizo Healing and Discipleship Center, Reinholds, will teach "Spiritual Warfare for a Peaceful World," bi-weekly on Monday evenings, 6:30

EMS Lancaster Offers Evening and Weekend Classes

Laura Amstutz — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0000

Lancaster Program Holds Second Commencement

Laura Amstutz — Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 +0000

Dr. Beryl Brubaker STEP graduation speaker

EMU’s Study and Training in Effective Pastoral Ministry (STEP) program will hold its second annual graduation at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 24, in the West Bethany Chapel at Landis Homes, 1001 E. Oregon Rd., Lititz, Pa.

University Provost Beryl H. Brubaker will address the graduates on the topic, “Lessons Learned.”

Mark R. Wenger, director of the STEP program, will preside and confer certificates on the seven members of the STEP class of 2008. STEP graduates receive a certificate in pastoral ministry from EMU.

The STEP program is intended to train leaders for congregational ministry. Most of the students are bi-vocational pastors without a college degree. The program meets in cohort format, with groups meeting one Saturday a month, September-May for three years.

The commencement service is open to the public.

For more information call Julie Siegfried at (717) 397-5190.

Pastor Gets in STEP with EMU Lancaster

Laura Amstutz — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0000

STEP Graduates First Class at Lancaster

Laura Amstutz — Wed, 23 May 2007 04:00:00 +0000

As pastor at Weaverland Mennonite Church in East Earl, Pa., Brian Martin was called to sit with grieving widows and preach sermons. His 20 years in agricultural sales and construction did not prepare him for these tasks.

EMS Lancaster Program to Graduate First Students

Laura Amstutz — Thu, 17 May 2007 04:00:00 +0000

Reflection: The View After One Year

Mark Wenger — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 04:00:00 +0000

Lancaster Students are STEPping Into Ministry

Laura Livengood — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 05:00:00 +0000

One by One, a Bible Commentary Series Grows

Mark Wenger — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Stories Worth Remembering

Mark Wenger — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Lancaster Area Pastors Offered Leadership Training

Jim Bishop — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 04:00:00 +0000