By J.A. Dunn

GAINESVILLE — A small group of clergy and laity gathered at the Gainesville District’s office in June to learn a new way to hold meetings that could revolutionize how church meetings are done.

The Rev. Carol Sue Hutchinson, director of the Conference Council on Ministries’ Discipleship and Church and Society Ministry teams, led the day-long workshop, which was a result of concerns voiced by African-American clergy and laity about the need for training opportunities to assist churches in grooming leadership from within. The concerns were voiced at a recent meeting of the Ethnic Local Church Concerns’ committee.

Conference staff responded by forming the Learning Academy. The training on June 28 was the first of its offerings.

Hutchinson suggested church meetings be held using a small-group approach to bring about transformation within the church.

“We live in a high-tech world with low touch,” she said. “People have so many barriers up. They’ll say they don’t have enough time for this or time to read the Bible, but this will leaven the meeting.”

Hutchinson said adding a touch of spirituality would help draw busy people to meetings. “We need to be sensitive to the fact that God touches our lives every day. It would be great if you could just start the meeting by saying, ‘What prayer concerns do you have?’…break up in small groups and then reconvene for the meeting.”

Starting meetings by letting people know pastors and church leaders care about what is going on in their lives can also help transform a church, Hutchinson said.

Additionally, Hutchinson emphasized a better way for church leadership to recruit volunteers. Instead of pastors cornering members in the back hall after a service, Hutchinson said they should make a job description and identify a list of people with the right abilities and qualifications, pray about the potential list, offer follow-up help to those who have agreed to serve, and graciously accept any decisions not to help without taking it personally.

Hutchinson said each generation of church leaders has the responsibility of training future leaders. A large portion of that training involves helping future leaders identify their spiritual gifts.

Each Academy participant completed a spiritual gifts survey, and Hutchinson assured them there weren’t any right or wrong answers.

“All the gifts have value and are needed in the church,” she said. “…The gifts are waiting to be released. If we know what each other’s spiritual gifts are, we can acknowledge and affirm those gifts in one another.”

As the Florida Conference embraces the Office of Congregational Transformation and its eight characteristics of a healthy church, Hutchinson said leadership must be empowered to provide proper equipping and mentoring.

“We must have passionate spirituality that will produce a contagious faith,” Hutchinson said. “...functional structures that include visions, goals and planning...inspiring worship to have a feeling of being inspired...holistic small groups that are relevant to daily life.”

After the meeting, the Rev. Altheria Lenon, pastor at Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church, said the workshop was better than she anticipated. The first-time pastor said she’s excited to begin using the workshop material.

“It’s very timely, and it gives me some direction,” said Lenon, who pastors the church of about 60 adults and 45 children. “I thought it was awesome. It helped me to see how life in the church should be and to get away from old hats.”

The Rev. Clifford Patrick, pastor at Bartley Temple, said the workshop planted a seed in his heart he hopes to harvest within the church. He said the vision of the church doing its best for the world impacted him the most.

Gainesville District Superintendent the Rev. Dr. Geraldine McClellan said the workshop exceeded all of her expectations.