The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is creating a new Office of Leadership and Vocation — a combined venture of the General Assembly Council and the Office of the General Assembly.
The new office — part of a continuing reorganization of the denominational structure — will pull together elements of work involving congregations calling pastors, efforts to prepare candidates for ministry, the training of commissioned lay pastors, support of Christian educators and programs to encourage vocational discernment.
Because the denomination already is providing many of these services, the funding will be consolidated from other areas — it won’t cost the PC(USA) more money.
The office will be led by Marcia Clark Myers, who has been the PC(USA)’s associate director for churchwide personnel services. Myers is “one of the most trusted people around here,” said the PC(USA)’s stated clerk, Clifton Kirkpatrick, and has “wise and good ideas of how to make this even more effective,” said Linda Valentine, executive director of the General Assembly Council.
The idea, in part, is to give Committees on Ministry and Committees on Preparation for Ministry one office to contact and to provide better training of presbytery leaders.
For more detailed information see the following PNS report: https://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2006/06673.htm
