Earlier this summer, several Education for Ministry (EfM) mentors and participants from West Tennessee attended a workshop and celebration at Sewanee marking EfM’s fiftieth anniversary. We were joined by others from all over the United States, including Hawaii, along with participants and EfM leaders from New Zealand, the UK, and Canada. Our own Bishop Phoebe celebrated the opening Eucharist and actively participated in several sessions. An EfM graduate and active supporter of the program, Bishop Phoebe contributed an essay to the fiftieth-anniversary book, Education for Ministry: 50 Years of Engaging, Responding, and Reflecting.
EfM is…
- A way to learn more about what we believe and why we believe it.
- A group to bring our questions and doubts to for thoughtful, respectful discussion.
- A program for deepening knowledge of scripture and learning more about the church and theology.
- An exploration of how ancient stories relate to our everyday lives.
- A way to think about how we are called to live out our baptismal commitments.
- A caring, supportive community.
By way of a brief background, in the 1970s, the Book of Common Prayer was undergoing revision, and the church was beginning to emphasize the ministry of all baptized Christians, not just ordained clergy and bishops. In the Baptismal Covenant of the 1979 prayer book, we promise we will proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ, that we will seek and serve Christ in all persons, and that we will strive for justice and peace among all people. We are reminded of this every Sunday, when we pray, “send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.”
Professors at The School of Theology at Sewanee realized the need to help people prepare to be sent out in this way. They started designing tools to offer education to lay people who wanted to deepen their knowledge of scripture, history and theology in a way that helped them explore their call to ministry. In 1975, the first groups began working through the first EfM curriculum using typewritten materials directly from Sewanee instructors.
A lot has changed since then, so this year, EfM is changing, too.
The traditional program of four years studying Hebrew Bible, New Testament, church history, and Christian theology continues under the new name of EfM Classic. The Classic curriculum has been updated with new online resources and refreshed materials, including multimedia content that enhances or replaces some of the reading.
In addition, there is a completely new option called Wide Angle, which will meet alongside the Classic, four-year program. It is a single year of EfM with its own materials that covers the same topics (Hebrew Bible, New Testament, church history, and Christian ethics/theology). Wide Angle is perfect for someone interested in exploring EfM but who isn’t ready for the full, Classic offering. It is also an opportunity for EfM graduates to come back for a “refresher” course or a way to re-experience the EfM community everyone seems to miss after they graduate.
Inspired by the reach of EfM historically and as represented this summer in Sewanee, the current mentors and Verlinda Henning, our diocesan coordinator, are committed to expanding EfM’s reach throughout the diocese. There are currently groups in only three of the diocese’s 28 churches.
Knowing what a valuable contribution EfM can make to a parish’s formation offerings, we are hoping to start conversations about expanding EfM’s reach through Zoom and helping to establish more groups across West Tennessee.
If you are interested in learning more about EfM for yourself or for your parish, see the links below to contact the West Tennessee EfM Coordinator or the group mentors listed below for further information.
Calvary Episcopal Church
Richard Hendricks: rah662@yahoo.com
Fred Piper: fpiper1129@aol.com
Church of the Holy Communion
Mike Watson: jmwatson62@protonmail.com
St. George’s Episcopal Church
Verlinda Henning (Diocesan EfM Coordinator): verlindah@aol.com
