In 2002, Upper Room Ministries, submitted a proposal to the Lilly Endowment, Inc., in response to their initiative entitled “Sustaining Pastoral Excellence.” The Upper Room’s proposal was one of forty-seven selected out of more than 700 received by Lilly.
Since 1935 Upper Room Ministries has provided resources in Christian spiritual formation. The daily devotional magazine, The Upper Room, is considered the most widely read magazine of its type in the world. In addition to this publication, Alive Now! Weavings and Upper Room Books are among its publications. From the beginning, the outreach of Upper Room Ministries has been and continues to be ecumenical and inclusive. At the same time, it accountable within the United Methodist Church as a Division of the General Board of Discipleship (GBOD).
In 1983, Upper Room Ministries developed The Academy for Spiritual Formation®, an in-depth experience in Christian community for laity and clergy. This well-recognized program provided the basis for the grant proposal to Lilly Endowment. Persons interested in The Academy may wish to review the website, www.upperroom.org/academy or contact the Academy Office at 1-877-899-2781, ext. 7233 (toll-free).
The first phase (2003) of the grant proposal involved an extensive research project related to The Academy. We wanted to know how this program had impacted the lives and ministries of the 375 pastors who attended the two-year program. The research report was extremely affirming regarding the value of the Academy for pastors. It also confirmed our hunch that another, complimentary program might be valuable for pastors looking for ways to transform the local congregation from a “functional” to a “formational” modality*.
The first Companions in Ministry group gathered in April 2005, meeting several times over the next two years. Many insights were shared among the fifty-four participants (“Companion Ministers”) regarding the challenge of deepening their spiritual vitality while leading their congregation. While successful, this first Companions in Ministry effort was not sustainable beyond the grant period. It simply costs too much to gather a national constituency of pastors together several times! We also felt the need to shift the focus from helping pastors develop support structures away from home, to helping them develop support structures in their local area. As part of our discernment we conversed with staff people from the Lilly Endowment, then returned to the design table and sketched an outline for Companions in Ministry Two. The grant application was successful, and we soon began the work of translating the grant proposal into reality.
The Upper Room’s interest in spiritual leadership and congregational spirituality has become more focused in recent years, especially with the publication of Companions in Christ®. This twenty-eight week resource for small groups has been highly praised by Diana Butler Bass and others. Companions in Ministry continues this same trajectory as we seek to connect the church to a vital and transforming Christ-centered spirituality. Our prayer is that CiM 2 may offer a supportive structure for this important work.
Jerry Haas
Project Director
*Copies of the research report may be borrowed from the Academy office.