Barton College

Barton College is pleased to announce the Revive! Renewal Experience for pastors in Eastern North Carolina this summer. This experience will be the first featured event to be offered by the newly formed Center for Vocation and Rural Ministry at Barton College, made possible through the generosity of the Lilly Endowment, Inc. The Revive! Renewal Experience is meant to serve as a sabbatical experience for pastors of small congregations, rural congregations, and congregations of color in Eastern North Carolina. The experience will begin on July 24, and run through August 1. There are 12 positions available during this first cohort. “Barton College and its Center for Vocation and Rural Ministry looks forward to welcoming pastors to campus this summer,” shares Dr. Rodney A. Werline, director of the Center for Religious Studies and the Leman and Marie Barnhill Endowed Chair in Religious Studies. “This time away from the parish will provide pastors an opportunity to experience a renewal of spirit and energy, a chance to fully engage in discussions and study without distraction, and a time for vocational discernment.” Participants will have the opportunity to have their pulpits filled by trained Barton College students, faculty, and staff. The participating pastors will be housed at Barton College and will experience times of relaxation, enjoy opportunities to meet colleagues and develop collegial relationships, engage with the local culture, explore ideas with scholars, and receive support through spiritual direction, as well as nurture for all aspects of a pastor’s wellbeing. In the months that follow, spiritual direction and opportunities to engage in other supportive activities will be offered. Participants will be invited to return for a second sabbatical in the summer of 2022, even as a new cohort is formed during that summer. There is no cost to participants. Applications are due no later than June 15, and the application form can be accessed by clicking on this link: Barton College Revive! Renewal Experience. We look forward to receiving and reviewing your application, and we hope that you will spread the word to other colleagues. Pastors of all ecumenical denominations are welcomed to apply. For additional information about Revive! Renewal Experience or for information regarding the Center for Vocation and Rural Ministry at Barton College, please contact the Reverend Blythe Taylor, assistant provost for integrative learning, director of the Oral Communication Center, at mbtaylor@barton.edu or 252-399-6541.…