AAMA Retreat Focuses on Renewal

Pastor Promise Lee (right) said the retreat focused on spiritual renewal and restoration. Psychologist Pam Shipp led seminars on how to care for the caregiver and Rich Berry led a workshop on discipleship. The keynote speaker for the retreat was Dr. A.R. Bernard (left), pastor of New York Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, New York, a congregation of more than 25,000 people.

Bernard also spoke during a retreat luncheon that had 500 in attendance as representatives from Promise Keepers, Focus on the Family, Young Life, Navigators, International Bible Society, Fuller Theological Seminary and other internationally known ministries based in Colorado Springs were invited. Bernard spoke on "the necessity of collaboration," challenging participants to serve as the moral voice in a world needing leadership.

Pastors discussed a previous meeting in Chicago that centered on racial reconciliation and giving more leadership to different ethnic groups. David Kersten and Carol Lawson, representing the Evangelical Covenant Church Department of the Ordered Ministry, were in attendance during the week, informing the group on (among other things) a recent Lilly Endowment Inc. grant of $1.67 million designed to initially fund a Sustaining Pastoral Excellence program for Covenant pastors.

Lee added that six ministries that were considering the ECC as their church home were among those in attendance at the AAMA retreat. Debbie Blue, director of adult ministries for the Department of Christian Formation, was also a participant in the event.

More about the AAMA and the recent retreat can be found by calling AAMA President Henry Greenidge, pastor of Irvington Covenant Church in Portland, Oregon, at 503-256-0286 or by emailing him at HGROCK1@aol.com.

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