What is the Local Pastor Licensing School of the Rockies?

Submitted by Jim Marshall, Dean and Registrar for the Local Pastor Licensing School of the Rockies

The Local Pastor Licensing School of the Rockies is held every summer in the Denver area, as a crash course in church leadership - a "boot camp" for those who are interested in the ministry or have been assigned to serve a local church.

Class sessions include several hours each on preaching, worship, congregational care, church administration and leadership, and Christian education. The students write four papers prior to the class, read the texts required by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, and each student preaches twice during the nine days - the papers and sermons are evaluated by the faculty.

The Local Pastor Licensing School is vital in that it is a required step in the alternative path for becoming an ordained elder. Students gain deep insight into church leadership and confidence in their skills as preachers/teachers/church administrators.

The 2015 faculty are the Rev. Chuck Schuster, Rev. Trudy Robinson, Rev. Linda Marshall, Rev. David Burt, and Nani Arning.

This year's school will be held Aug. 22 to 30 at First United Methodist Church in Golden, Colorado. Fourteen have registered - 12 from the Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone Conferences and two from New York.

For more information about the Local Licensing School of the Rockies, contact Jim Marshall at redhaws@gmail.com.