Don Bennett, Director for COG MIP, has responded here on Actscelerate to a previous post by the COG Second Assistant General Overseer J. David Stephens AND ALSO to various questions posted by ACTS viewers concerning MIP.
The time and response of these esteemed Brothers is most appreciated. Both have honored our viewers and the questions about MIP some viewers have expressed.
In particular, the Second Assistant General Overseer requested viewers to share their ideas about how MIP can be improved and Director Bennett
shares some of the efforts already being made to help MIP be more effective.
There is no attempt at this early stage of communication to answer every question in this one post. However, their warm and welcome response to viewers is a tremendous leap forward and gives the hope that further information will be forthcoming as officials in Cleveland seek to improve MIP.
PLEASE share your kind and respectful responses here on ACTS so all of our viewers can see them instead of using the PM feature. There is no way Bishop Stephens and Director Bennett can personally respond to hundreds of PMs. They have both gone above-and-beyond the call of duty to honor our viewers with their responses here.
VIEWERS will see [/b]the original post by the Second Assistant General and then the information by Director Bennett. Both statements are carried here word-for-word:
Second Assistant General Overseer: "It is so uncanny that MIP is a topic of discussion on Actscelerate at this particular time.
As the new Director of the Division of Education [being elected to the office of Second Assistant General Overseer]....I conducted the first full staff meeting with the entire DOE family, which includes the Coordinators of CIMS, CAMS, and MIP.
What is uncanny is that I began the meeting by making this statement: "There are three questions that we must always be asking ourselves....
First: What is the 'perception' of our work by the people we serve outside of Cleveland, Tennessee"?
Second: what changes need to be made in MIP?... Why? How? When?
Third: How can the Division of Education serve the local church in new and significant ways?"
I believe now, as I always have, that the International Offices, as well as our State/Regional Offices "exist" for the sole purpose of serving the local church! This is our purpose for being!
Late last night I decided to see what was being discussed on Actscelerate, and to my amazement it was MIP. I immediately emailed several people on our DOE leadership team, and asked them to login...
We are reading your posts...the concerns of the people we serve are important to us and will be taken seriously.
Please, be mindful that some things concerning Licensure and Ministerial Training are "mandated" by our highest governing body, the General Assembly. While there may be flexibility in some things... the directives of the General Assembly are the bottom line.
Also, the Division of Education, like all Divisions and Departments in the International Offices are operating on declining underwriting from the Tithe Fund. The reality is that each local church is keeping more of the tithe and sending less to fund State and International services...
And, likewise... the leadership in each state/region also have reducing incomes which impact the delivery system of MIP.
Thank you for your input, and allowing me the privilege of serving you!
Statement by Director Bennett: "Bishop Stephens and I have discussed some of the facets and ways to look at MIP. He suggested that I share with you the following.
Ministerial Development/School of Ministry (MDSOM) has recently utilized Skype for conducting MIP seminars.
Wade Miller, the MIP coordinator for the Ministry to the Military in Europe, coordinated the MIP in Europe this past term (2011-2012). Because of the distance between the MIP candidates, Wade conducted the seminars using Skype
MDSOM has talked with state ministerial training leaders, especially where there is a great distance for the MIP candidates to travel, about using Skype.
Also, MDSOM has on its “to-do list” to research making electronic copies of the textbooks and study guides available. With the assistance of Pathway, the Church of God Minutes were available electronically for the CAMS applicants this past year.
In addition, specializations are offered in the MIP. The specializations available are (1) assistant pastor ministry, (2) chaplaincy, (3) children’s ministry, (4) Christian education, (5) church planting, and (6) youth ministry. An MIP candidate can request to participate in one of these specializations as part of the supervised practicum.
These are some of the ways that the MIP is trying to train our new ministers. _________________ The largest room in the world is the room for improvement.
Last edited by doyle on 9/13/12 2:49 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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