Southern Ohio Facilitators Complete Training

Ten Southern Ohio pastors met August 1-3 at the Kings Mill Conference Center near Cincinnati for a three-day retreat to receive training to serve as Pastoral Covenant Group Facilitators. This training event was the next step in launching Pastoral Covenant Groups in Southern Ohio this fall. The focus of the retreat was to provide orientation to the Covenant Pastoral Leadership Development Initiative and provide training in facilitative leadership.

The ten pastor-facilitators will be launching and leading Pastoral Covenant Groups involving approximately 100 Southern Ohio pastors. The ten pastors who attended the retreat and completed the training were David Renfro, Randy Ballard, Don Godbey, Ron Heath, Marvin Hocker, Ron Martin, Tim Oldfield, Roland Pendley, Scott Skeens, and Alan Weaver.

Administrative Bishop Alton C. Bristow opened the retreat by casting vision and expressing his support for this much-needed project to provide care and leadership development for Southern Ohio pastors. Bishop Bristow also participated in a special covenant making service with the facilitators.

Dr. Milton Carter and Rev. Anthony Lombard, from the Church of God Theological Seminary's Center for Pentecostal Leadership and Care, led the retreat. Carter remarked, "We are grateful for these outstanding pastoral leaders who have committed themselves to serve as facilitators for this historic endeavor to strengthen and renew Church of God pastors. The Center for Pentecostal Leadership and Care is delighted to partner with Bishop Bristow and the Southern Ohio State Council in this Lilly Endowment funded project. We believe God's blessing will be upon this exciting venture in Southern Ohio."

David Renfro, State Pastoral Covenant Group Coordinator for Southern Ohio planned and coordinated the retreat.