Rev. Dr. Russ Peterman to help lead the Ministry Life Choices Initiative
Lexington Theological Seminary, located in Lexington, KY, and the oldest Disciples seminary, partners with the Pension Fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to support LTS M. Div. graduates in their first 1-5 years of fulltime congregational ministry through a project called Ministry Life Choices Initiative (MLCI). It is the mission of MLCI to find ways to mediate the effects of clergy burnout, helping and encouraging pastors to be healthy in mind, body and spirit, and to seek ways to support them in their efforts at such health.
Starting in January, the initiative will be entering an exciting new phase with the launch of its first clergy peer group. Six recent LTS alums have agreed to journey together through life and ministry for 18 months beginning in January of 2016. These clergy will begin their time together with a 24-hour retreat in Lexington in January, and then continue meeting monthly via LTS Online.
Rev. Dr. Russ Peterman, Senior Minister
Our pastor, the Rev. Dr. Russ Peterman, has been chosen to serve as the facilitator of this peer group.
Julie Richardson, MLCI coordinator, explains that Russ was chosen for this role because of his “pastoral presence, keen sense of relationship, and wisdom from his years of ministry,” assets that will help guide these new graduates through an 18-month journey together.
Richardson recently wrote to the church leadership, saying, “This project, will, of course, take up some of Russ' time. And so I want to extend my gratitude to you all, in advance, for supporting this crucial pastoral service he is offering the wider church. I am profoundly grateful for the leadership I know he will provide. He is, as you know, one of our wider church's finest pastors.”
This is a wonderful opportunity and honor for Russ, as well as a terrific testament to the quality of Russ' leadership. We trust that he will be an outstanding mentor and facilitator for this new program, and we will proudly support him in this endeavor.