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Empowering Black Methodists for effective witness and service in local churches, conferences, schools, and the larger community.
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Initiating, developing, and implementing strategies and instruments for the development, maintenance, and growth of strong Black local congregations.
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Advocating for the interests and inclusivity of Blacks in the District, Conference and General church leadership structures.
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"Resurgence: Navigating the Changing Ministry Landscape" written by Reverend. Dr. Candace Lewis and Reverend Dr. Rodney Smothers
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Retooling the Church – Ron Satrape
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Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations – Robert Schnase
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4D IMPACT – Smash Barriers Like a Smart Church
The Florida Conference Leadership Academy
Download the Leadership Academy brochure.
Registration for The Florida Conference Leadership Academy is now closed.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens a friend.” (Prov. 22:17 CEB) This is a prime time for all of us, as friends and ministry leaders both clergy and laity to be sharp and prepared to effectively continue the mission in these rapidly changing times.
Program Objectives:
- Provide a context for excellence in leadership development, research, and service for our Florida Conference as we integrate the extensive work of the anti-racism task force.
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Identify, recruit, and equip interested laity and clergy for courageous and transformational leadership in the local church, district, conference, and community.
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Inspire participants to reflect leadership skills that honor and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion while being grounded in an understanding of Wesleyan theology and the history and polity of the UMC.
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Provide opportunities for participants to grow in intrapersonal and interpersonal awareness through workshop instruction, class participation, and critical engagement with God, self, and neighbor.
Proposed Session Dates and Times
This program is comprised of six sessions, scheduled bi-monthly (every other month) from January thru October. The sessions will be in hybrid format and will include online coursework, Zoom sessions, and in-person gatherings.
Session 1 will be from 9:30 to noon. All other sessions will be held on Saturdays from 9:30a - 3:30p. With the exception of Session 1, all other sessions will be held on the LAST Saturday of the month. Pre-work for each session will be available in our online platform. Sessions are flexible depending on availability of cohort members.
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January 22nd (Zoom): Session 1 – Orientation to the Academy
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Purpose, Goals, Theoretical Framework
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Expectations (participants, facilitators, leaders, instructors)
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Structure of the Academy
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February 26th (In-person): Session 2 – Introduction to Leadership
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Historical Foundations of Leadership
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Leadership in the Bible – Hebrew Bible & New Testament
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Denominational Leadership – Leading in the Wesleyan Way
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April 30th (Zoom): Session 3 – Intrapersonal Development
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Implicit Bias – Who Am I
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Socialization
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Power, Justice, & Discrimination
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Vision/Values
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Developing a Personal Statement
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Valuing Self
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June 25th (In-person): Session 4 – Interpersonal Development & Trip to the Legacy Museum
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Communicating Across Differences
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Conflict Management & Resolution
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Cross Racial/Cross Cultural Challenges
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August 27th (Zoom): Session 5 – Organizational Leadership
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UMC Polity
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Organizational Structure
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Strategic Planning, Vision, Values
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Local Church, District, Conference Boards and Committees
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Budget and Fiscal Requirements
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Grants and more
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Training and Development
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October 29th (In-person): Session 6 – Community Engagement & Wrap Up
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Theological Framework
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Justice Advocacy
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Previously incarcerated persons
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Equal wages
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Florida Advocacy days
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Environmental
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Justice, Reconciliation & Me Workshop
In the words of Bishop Desmond Tutu, “We contend that there is another kind of justice, restorative justice, which has the characteristic of traditional African jurisprudence. Here the central concern is the healing of breaches, the redressing of imbalances, the restoration of broken relationships, a seeking to rehabilitate both the victim and the perpetrator, who should be given the opportunity to be reintegrated into the community he has injured by his offense.” You are invited to journey with us through a time of relationship building, storytelling, introspection, and hope. Come and be part of something beautiful!
Presenters: Rev. Dr. David Allen, Rev. Dr. Arlinda Burks, Rev. Dwayne Craig, Rev. Dr. Geraldine McClellan, Rev. Dr. Latricia Edwards Scriven
Written Resources
- "The 10 Be's To Confronting Racism" - this list is the result of collaborative work done by Ebony Bishops, Clergy and Laity at a 2004 meeting held in Atlanta. It was the first reunion of leadership from the Central Jurisdiction (1939-1968) after the merger to become the United Methodist Church. (Rev. Dr. Geraldine McClellan, read this list in Movement 2 on Reconciliation)
- "End of the Central Jurisdiction", UMC Archives & History - http://gcah.org/history/central-jurisdiction
- "United Methodist African American timeline", UMC Archives & History - http://s3.amazonaws.com/gcah.org/United_Methodist_African_American_Timeline.pdf
- "The United Methodist Church Timeline", UMC Archives & History - http://gcah.org/history/united-methodist-church-timeline
Video Links
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- "The Church & Prejudice", Frederick Douglass (Rev. Dwayne Craig referenced this from video in Prelude) - https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/1841-frederick-douglass-church-and-prejudice/
- "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman," directed by John Korty, based on a novel by Ernest J. Gaines. - https://youtu.be/nDV7PUtP8As (Rev. Dr. Arlinda Burks shared video in Movement 3, on "Me")
Should you have any questions, please contact us at Latricia.scriven or Pastor-Arlington UMC