Position Open
2015-2016
Bethany Church
115 Main
Montpelier
VT
5602
Email
Email:
revmarkp@comcast.net
Phone
Phone:
8022232424
Website
Website:
Site Description
Church in a small but capital city. The church is liberal mainline maybe more interested in doing mission than walking humbly with God. Sunday worship is under 100, there are 85 pledge units and official membership is at <200. Montpelier is the smallest capital city in the USA, still has less of the usual urban problems. There is still homelessness, hunger, mental illness, underemployment and job scarcity. Bethany does a weekly soup kitchen/community meal, supports a Homeless Shelter, gives $5,000 a year through Deacon’s Fund to bridge gaps, and is known as a place to go to sit or get help. OR use a toilet. As a Capital City, it is aware of State politics and has a State Senator as a member. We are very supportive of the lobbyist employed by the Vermont Low Income Advocacy Council. Our ministers regularly pray at the Senate and House Chambers. The church struggles to have two full time ministers: Revs. Mark and Amy Pitton. They each have ministries they focus in and have very different styles/approaches and have been here since 2002. They have about 25 years in Ordained ministry with this being their third church, their second one working together. We have a Interactive Chapel with a Chartres style Labyrinth, meditation Mandalas, Sand Gardens, and a station for healing prayers.Bethany is leaving the Board/Committee Structure behind to have a Board of Directors looking at big pictures and ministry teams doing ministry. We are one of 5 UCC congregations in Vermont working with Partners for Sacred Spaces for a two year program to do asset mapping and strategic planning to engage community and building in ministry. We might even start removing more pews from our sanctuary.
Stipend Expectation
This site meets the stipend expectation
Student Involvement
Laura Cadmus has expressed an interest in youth ministry, confirmation class, management, church life, sermons, and worship leadership. Both ministers have taught/trained lay people in youth ministry. Rev. Amy creates Confirmation Programs that participants look forward to. As the church moves through a by law transition, Laura will see church management in two styles. She will have a chance to see church life, not as fun but as an intrical aspect of ministry. She will be offered a great range of opportunities and experiences of worship leadership and see a relaxed approach (and again two styles). She will also have constant directed conversations and feedback from both the minister and laity. The emphasis will be on her learning, not doing. That learning will be done with us teaching and her trying/experimenting followed by reflection by her, supervisor, TPC, and members. Rev. Mark has trained the congregation to be very tolerant of mistakes.
Commitment to Educating Ministers
How does a ‘commitment’ get described? Here is what I know. When the minister’s brought the idea to the Council, they quickly and pretty easily decided to do it. They wanted to do it, even the one who tends to be most skittish about the new. They wanted to do it, even though we will also be engaged with new bylaws, and the Sacred Spaces program. No one thought ‘finding’ the money would be difficult, which is where ideas often find a challenge. And we just got large bequest.
Special Considerations
We want to do this and it will be good for us to consider what makes a good minister. Laura is from this area, which means transportation should not be a problem and because of her work in this Association she is known to several people already. Rev. Mark will be taking the Supervisor’s course at ANTS to further his skills and take advantage of his natural reflective nature. And provide an ANTS supervision. We really think this will be cool.
Contact Information
Mark
Pitton
Title
Title:
Reverend
115 Main Street
Montpelier
5602
Phone
Phone:
802-223-2424
Email
Email:
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