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Colleagues associated with Clergy Seminars are individuals who pursue their work and ministry with an effort toward natural systems thinking as a result of long term participation in the Clergy Seminar series. Working from a Bowen/ Friedman reference or axis, each is involved with theory and its application, particularly within congregational and family settings. Those listed here continued study over several years within their work settings and within their own family of origin. Each brings important experiences from years of self work and leadership. Seminar Associates Dr.
John Mann >Serve in leadership
positions as pastors, parents, CEO's, therapists, physicians
Update (2007): Dr. Mann has currently taken the position of Seminary Pastor at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota. Dr. John Mann is senior pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Canton, Ohio. His leadership has taken the congregation through a transformation of congregational ministry in Canton's downtown business district. An ecumenical urban ministry effort led to multi-cultural participation. Currently an Hispanic community is interlinked within the traditional congregational ministry. Part of the leadership focus is to move people out of poverty within the neighborhood and family context. Preschool and kindergarten programs have been developed. There is a counseling center ministry with a systems orientation. Serving as Regional Dean for the Canton/Massillon area Dr. Mann offers collegial and pastoral support for rostered persons as a support to the Bishop's office. He formerly served in urban ministry in a congregational campus setting as head of 13 staff persons. Dr. Mann received a BA from Clarion University n Psychology and Sociology, an MDiv. from Duke Divinity School with emphasis on Pastoral Care, and an MTh. from Duke University in Pastoral Psychology. His D.Min. from the Ohio Theological Consortium at Wittenberg University emphasized lay pastoral ministry training, a pre-cursor of Stephen's Ministry training. He has done extensive study of faith development with Jim Fowler's International Institute for faith development. Pastor Mann worked with Rabbi Friedman through the seminar series offered in Bethesda, Maryland. He has participated in Clergy Seminars on Family Process and Natural Systems for six years. Frequently Dr.
Mann is sought out as a coach. His area of interests include transformational
ministry, congregational stress, organizing for community ministry, working
with political systems, support of clergy in crisis, and development of
multi-cultural ministry. Pastor Mann heads a congregational staff of six,
most of whom are in training in Family Systems Theory. They work together
(and separately) to apply the theory in the congregation's life and community
development.
As a Senior pastor,
Dr. Larry D. Pickens has been involved in a ministry of advocacy
for pastors who are involved in juridical evaluation and discipline processes.
He serves as a member of the United Methodist Judicial Council which interprets
church law. As an ordained pastor and attorney, Dr. Pickens served a predominantly
anglo congregation in a suburban urban setting. Recently he has been appointed
to serve as the General Secretary for the General Commission on Christian
Unity and Interreligious Concerns at United Methodist Headquarters in
New York.
The Rev. Dr. Howard Anderson has been the Rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Duluth, Minnesota, since 1994.St. Paul's supports women transitioning from welfare to work through youth programs, Little Treasures Child Care Center (for infants or toddlers of people in transition from welfare to work), and computer labs for children and adults living in poverty. The church's average age has dropped from 65 to 34 in the past eight years and is attracting people committed to justice issues and social outreach. Father Howard is currently called to be Warden at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. where he heads the College of Preachers and the educational work of the Cathedral. Howard has been involved since 1993 in the on-going family systems seminar with Dr. Larry Foster. He has been a seminary professor, a diocesan staff member in the areas of stewardship and development, congregational development and Indian ministry in two dioceses. He has a keen interest in justice issues, and believes that churches reaching out to those in need can grow spiritually as well as in numbers. He worked 17 years in the Indian community and has been taught by traditional spiritual leaders in the religious practices of the Lakota and Dakota people. Howard holds a
B.A. from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN and an M.A. and Ph.D in American
Studies from the University of Hawaii. His divinity training was at St.
John's Anglican College in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He heads a pastoral staff
of 24 full and part time people, many of whom participate in Dr. Foster's
Family Systems seminar. He is a conference leader in the Episcopal Church's
CREDO program (Clergy Reflection, Education, Discernment Opportunity).
Dr. Anderson leads his team in a church wide clergy wellness effort which
takes place in the context of an 8 day workshop focusing upon clergy wellness
in the areas of spirituality, physical health, finances and vocation.
Dr. William Wendt Since 1987 Pastor “Bill” Wendt has served two rural Wisconsin congregations (ELCA). Wendt is a 21 year Naval Aviator veteran who operated in helicopter search and rescue detachments in the Vietnam era. His leadership experience in the Navy forms a backdrop to his pastoral leadership. He has been in
contact with numerous interim ministries impacted by the trauma of difficult
members as well as the woundedness that results from invasive and reactive
clergy and lay persons. He is particularly interested in the Bowen Theory
concept of self-differentiation as it relates to leadership in families
and congregations. As a member of the clergy seminar for several years
he focused on Dr. Friedman’s thesis of three interlocking systems:
one’s own family (nuclear and extended), the congregation as an
emotional system, and families within the congregation. Dr. Walter Brueggemann at Columbia Seminary in Georgia supervised Bill’s doctoral work. His studies involved Psalms of lament and interim ministries within wounded congregations. The laments of the Psalter offer a new paradigm for ministry in the healing of wounded congregations. Dr. Wendt is interested
in a congregation’s learning and exercising biblical prayer from
the whole Psalter. He sees “plea” and “praise”
involving a back-and-forth movement through the Psalms as related to emotional
process.
The Rev. Carol Jeunnette, a Ph.D. candidate at Iliff School of Theology and the University of Denver, is beginning work on a dissertation focused on Bowen theory, clergy and congregations. An ELCA pastor, ordained in 1989, Pastor Jeunnette has served congregations in the Chicago, Albuquerque and Denver areas. She is a facilitator for Healthy Congregations and the Bridgebuilder process. Pastor Jeunnette received her Bachelor of Music Education from Wheaton College, her M.Div. from Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and M.A.'s in Family Studies and Counseling from the University of New Mexico. Rev. Jeunnette was introduced to Rabbi Friedman's work while serving as an 'after pastor' in a congregation in which allegations of sexual abuse had been lodged against a previous pastor. For the past six years she has concentrated on gaining the knowledge, experience, growth and academic credentials needed to teach in a school of theology. She earned master's degrees in family studies and counseling prior to beginning a Ph.D. program and worked with Friedman shortly before his death. Rev. Jeunnette then studied with the Friedman Center for Family Process two years. She is involved in the Voyagers Group (a group of clergy, many of whom studied with Friedman, who seek to continue the theoretical application of his work to congregations). She is engaged in the postgraduate program at the Bowen Center. She has developed
a pastoral counseling practice and currently consults with congregations
and clergy, as well as collaborating with Dr. Foster in offering clergy
seminars in Denver and Albuquerque. Her particular theoretical interests
include multigenerational transmission and emotional process in congregations
as well as recent neuroscience research that is resonant with Bowen theory. |
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