Clergy Renewed and Hopeful at Bishop's Retreat

Earlier this month, West Ohio and East Ohio Clergy gathered in Columbus for the annual Bishops’ Retreat with Black Clergy. Hosted by Bishop Tracy Smith Malone of the East Ohio Conference and Bishop Gregory V. Palmer of West Ohio, the retreat featured guest facilitator Dr. Valerie Bridgeman PhD., founder of Woman Preach! and Dean of Methodist Theological Seminary of Ohio.

The theme of the retreat was, “Preach, Preacher, Preach!”

 “Preach! Preacher, Preach! is about finding your own voice and thinking through what you’re preaching, why you’re preaching it, and how you’re preaching it”, Bridgemen said.

Along with training from Dr. Bridgeman, the retreat was a time of renewal and for clergy to interact with their episcopal leaders. The retreat also provided a space to discuss with each other and the bishops the impact and opportunities in ministry as a result of disaffiliations. Clergy also shared their hopes for the future of the church.

In her presentation, Dr. Bridgeman discussed the use of the common lectionary in preaching and the impact of know that around the world, faith communities are singing, reading and preaching from the same text and the power that has.

“Sometimes you read the Lectionary text for the week, and you ask, ‘where is the good news here?’ and then you the preacher, who hears God on behalf of the folk and hear the folk for God, have to wrestle until there’s a blessing. And I think sometimes what we are resisting is that wrestle,” she said. the Lectionary allows us to struggle with and find something about God even when we can’t see it.”

In another part of her presentation, someof the clergy were randomly selected to take a selected scripture, prepare and present a sermon on site. After each presentation, their collogues and episcopal leaders provided feedback and critique of their work.

Will Fenton-Jones, East Ohio Conference Director of Connectional Ministries Office Multicultural Ministries and Rev. Donnetta Peaks, West Ohio’s Director of the Office of Ministry worked with the bishops in designing the Bishops’ Retreat with Black Clergy.

The annual retreat began in 1982 when then-East Ohio Conference Bishop James S. Thomas created the event to nurture and develop clergy whose diversity and perspective is invaluable.