Mentoring Program for Beginning Pastors

When beginning pastors venture into their first assignments, they face many new and unfamiliar situations. It is important that they receive every opportunity for growth and learning through these initial experiences in ministry. The area conference can do much in these early months of pastoring to provide special support and encouragement as beginning pastors test their gifts and further discern their sense of call to ministry.

One such effort is mentoring, in which an intentional relationship is formed between an experienced pastor and a beginning pastor for the first two years of his/her assignment. By definition a mentor has knowledge, skills, experiences, and spiritual qualities to which a pastor might well aspire. The mentor serves as a listener, advocate, and resourcing friend for the growth of the pastor being mentored. Giving oneself to a relationship of trust, truth, respect, and prayer can be rewarding to the mentor and bring the satisfaction and joy of entrusting to others what has been learned through years of ministerial leadership.

Also in Spanish.