A spiritual renewal program for women pastors serving congregations.
The Pastoral Leader as Spiritual Mentor
Presenters:
Reverend Beth Fain (WTBG I)
Reverend Teri Thomas (WTBG I)
April 28 - May 7, 2014
During this session, the pastoral leader will be mentored and will learn the way to mentor others on their spiritual journey. This mentoring may be defined as one Christian helping another on his/her spiritual journey by enabling each to pay attention to God's Word, and responding wholeheartedly to God's invitation by living deeply that relationship at this time in one's life. This will be a time of personal discernment, healing and listening in a contemplative way to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in one's ordinary circumstances of the daily. During this time each participant will allow her relationship with God to mature and develop as she lives her life more intentionally by attending to the Holy.
Reverend Teri Thomas was born in Mt Vernon, Ohio in 1954. The second of three children, she was raised in Ohio and Indiana graduating from high school in 1971 in Sylvania, Ohio. Teri received her MA from Otterbein College in Westerville, OH in 1974. Following college she worked for the Red Cross in Toledo, OH until starting seminary at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. She received her M.Div. in 1977 and she was ordained by John Knox Presbytery in 1978.
Teri served as Assistant pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Dubuque and as Associate of Faith Presbyterian in Papillion, NE. In 1984 Teri became the Associate Executive of Detroit Presbytery. While serving in Detroit Teri received her D. Min from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.
In 1991 Teri was called as the General Presbyter of National Capital Presbytery in Washington D.C. She was one of only seventeen women in that position nationally and she was the youngest person to serve in that position at the time.
Teri was called as Pastor of Northminster Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, IN in January 2002.
Teri’s other service to the church has included:
Preaching Tour in South Korea on Ordination of Women in 1994
Berger Lecture Series on Preaching at University of Dubuque Seminary in 1995
Adjunct Faculty in D.Min. Program of McCormick Seminary 1992-1996
Preacher at the 216th General Assembly in 2004
Bible Study Leader at Massanetta Bible Conference in 2001 and 2005
Adjunct Faculty at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, IN 2006-2012
Faith and Values Columnist, Indianapolis Star, 2010-present
Reverend Beth Fain: Is a sixth generation Texan who has spent half of her life as a Southern Baptist and the other as an Episcopalian. She isthe very proud mother of Lisa, who lives in New York City, and Jacob, who is married to another Lisa and lives in Bend, Oregon with her grandson, Jack. Beth has Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Education from Texas Woman’s University, a Master of Divinity from Houston Graduate School of Theology, and a Certificate of Individual Theological Studies from Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest. Before being ordained as an Episcopal priest nearly twenty years ago, she did about everything one can do in Special Education and had a very active lay ministry including being a founding member of a mission of 35 or so persons and helping it grow into a healthy transitional size parish. She was Assistant Rector at St. Dunstan’s, Houston (a resource size suburban parish) before accepting the call as Rector of St. Mary’s, Cypress (Texas) thirteen years ago. In the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, Beth has served on the Commission on Ministry (currently chair), as an Examining Chaplain, as chair of the committee beginning the diaconate, and twice as Dean of our Convocation. Beth has been a andidate for bishop in two dioceses, but God continues to call her to serve (delightedly!) in parish ministry. She was one of 30 women clergy in the first Women Touched by Grace. and is in the process of becoming a Benedictine Oblate at Our Lady of Grace Monastery.
