In the June issue of The Continuing Educator I wrote about the season of change affecting those involved in continuing education for ministry. Little did any of us realize the range of changes that would occur world-wide since June 2008! The last few months have brought a whole new focus to the idea of change as the deteriorating global financial realities have rippled through our individual and organizational lives. Congregations, seminaries, retreat centers, denominations, and judicatories are scrambling to try to respond to the changes. Endowments, gifts, enrollments, staffing patterns, planning, and programs all are affected.

In times of educational crisis, it is often our work in continuing education and non-credit learning programs that are affected first. Perhaps in part this is because our programs are flexible, non-credit, short-term, voluntary learning events. Everywhere educators are struggling to learn how to do more with less and do it in ways they had never thought of before; to do a new work in a new world even as that world itself is changing. Most of us are literally learning as we go.

And learning is the key. As Miles Horton and Paulo Freire (1990) said, we must “make the road by walking.” Gone are the days, if there ever was such a time, when a single educator, institution or program could learn enough, or learn fast enough even to keep up, much less set the pace for lifelong learning in ministry. Collaboration is no longer a nice buzz word. It is an increasing necessity. The task before us, as adult educator Matthias Finger writes, is to ‘learn our way out’ of the complexities we face (Finger and Asun 2001). And we must learn new ways to do that together. 

This is a time of great challenge in continuing education for ministry. It is also a time of great opportunity. Sometimes it is difficult to see the opportunities in the midst of the challenges. That is why the theme and model of the upcoming 2009 SACEM Annual Conference could not have been more timely. “Crafting Continuing Education: Identity and Intentionality” is the theme of the conference to be held in Atlanta at Columbia Theological Seminary March 6-8, 2009. Led by Russ Moxley, Ron Cervero and Kim Long, the conference will look at continuing education as a “craft,” focusing on ways to effectively and faithfully learn and discern the future shape of our work in times of change. Each of us brings important experiences, data, and ideas to the table. Together we will learn ways to strengthen our practice as continuing educators.

The conference will utilize collaborative pedagogies such as Harrison Owen’s “Open Space” and Parker Palmer’s “Circles of Trust” as useful tools in learning, discerning and planning educational programs.

The SACEM Annual Conference is always a chance for building and renewing relationships with colleagues. It is also an opportunity to get new ideas and explore new practices in continuing education for ministry. This year such opportunities are even more critical as we all face important challenges. I look forward to seeing you and learning with you in Atlanta this March!

Finger, M., and J. M. Asun. (2001). Adult Education at the Crossroads: Learning Our Way Out (London and New York: ZED Books).

Horton, M., and P. Freire. (1990). We Make the Road By Walking: Conversations on Education and Social Change (Philadelphia: Temple University Press).