The Damascus Project is tackling an issue of critical importance to the future of the Wisconsin Conference and the wider United Church of Christ — the critical shortage of pastors – with an online gathering for individuals who might be in the early stages of discerning a call to ministry.
Called “Here I Am, Lord,” the Zoom conversation will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 15. The gathering is intended as a first step toward creating a discernment cohort of the same name that the Damascus Project can nurture over the coming year. Damascus is the joint educational ministry of the Wisconsin and Minnesota conferences.
In a message to clergy and churches announcing the new initiative, Damascus Project Director the Rev. Stephanie Perdew encouraged pastors to keep their eyes and ears open during the holiday season for individuals who might be considering ministry.
“In the United Church of Christ, the path to ministry always begins in the local church,” she said. “Many of us could tell the story of an important mentor, pastor, youth leader, or church volunteer who recognized gifts in us that we may not have seen in ourselves. If there is a person or persons in your congregation who may have the gifts and graces for ministry, we want to know.” Email Stephanie with the name and contact information of someone in your congregation.
The launch of “Here I Am, Lord” comes six months after Conference Minister Franz Rigert challenged clergy and congregations at the 2024 Annual Meeting to help identify 20 new potential pastors over the next two years. “You know how most people discern a call to authorized ministry?” he said during his State of the Conference Address. “Not by a lightning bolt or a billboard. Not by hearing the voice of God. But by someone who loves them, sees gifts in them and taps them on the shoulder saying, ‘Have you ever thought about pastoral ministry?’”