Rev. Peggy Hanson feeds her daughter during the NPCL virtual gathering. Photos via Zoom.

Twenty-two Dakotas and Minnesota United Methodist clergy just completed a graduate certificate program that taught them about stewardship of financial resources, human resources, vision, strategy, community, and communications, and 14 more are about to begin the program.

The second cohort of the Nonprofit Church Leadership (NPCL) graduate certificate program was celebrated on July 7 via a virtual gathering.  The program that launched in 2018 is a a partnership between the Dakotas-Minnesota Area of the United Methodist Church and Dakota Wesleyan Univeristy (DWU) with funding assistance from Lilly Endowment. More than 50 congregations are experiencing impact of the participants in the program. 

"The NPCL certificate program is a 12-month rigorous, graduate-level experience," said Diane Owen, director of the Dakotas-Minnesota Lilly Grant Initiative. "Not only did the graduating cohort obtain critical leadership knowledge and skills with immediate application in their local churches, but these pastors were also all thrown into adaptive leadership situations when the pandemics of both the coronavirus and racial injustices erupted. In an amazing display of agility and adaptability, these pastors guided their congregations into a world of virtual church. Still, they also did so as they applied new and very relevant competencies recently acquired."

Each of the participants navigating challenges of balancing a demanding leadership role in their communities and taking on a graduate program, which was exacerbated by COVID-19, landed successfully. Rev. Peggy Hanson, who serves Trinity UMC in Lead, South Dakota, gave birth to a daughter while participating in the program. Rev. Clay Lundberg, who now serves the United Methodist Church in Canton, South Dakota, and previously served United in Faith Parish in Burke and Herrick, South Dakota, dealt with the birth of a baby and transitioning to a new ministry appointment.

"If someone had told me, 12-months ago, that I would be living through the uncertainty of a pandemic, making a transition in my ministry to a new congregation, and celebrating the birth of a baby while being part of NPCL cohort, I would not believe them," says Lundberg. "It was crazy, but in some ways, very productive. My cohort colleagues and the faculty provided me support and flexibility."

The program is designed to enhance the administrative and management skills of church leaders. 

"Even though there are challenges, I am walking away with new skills and resources. The program meets you where you are. It is flexible. So much of the content applies to your church," said Rev. Andy Buschena, who serves at Common Ground UMC in Cambridge, Minnesota. "The coaching and relationships I have built with everyone in the program are life-changing."

The impacts of NPCL are far-reaching to the congregations and communities where these church leaders serve.
"For the second year in a row, I am impressed with the impacts that these ministry leaders have in their local congregations and communities throughout their time in the program," said Dr. Alisha Vincent, NPCL program chair. "This year proved especially challenging for church-life during the pandemic. Yet, our participants rose to the challenge, and innovatively led their churches, implementing many of the practices learned and developed while in the program."

Bishop Ough greets the NPCL incoming and outgoing cohorts.

Bishop Bruce R. Ough, resident bishop for the Dakotas-Minnesota Area, greeted the participants via Zoom. "I commend each of you for your courageous leadership, your perservance, and adaptive leadership as we navigate through these times of uncertianty," said Ough. 

The program is all online with live lectures, readings, assignments, and online chatting with their cohort, instructors, and colleagues. The year-long program strengthens the competencies that pastors need to lead today's church but did not perhaps obtain during their undergraduate, graduate, or seminary education.

There are four main courses and two applied projects. The applied projects focus on an area within their local church that needs addressing. It could include developing a vision for their local church, financial policies and procedures, and governance structure; it depends on their particular church's needs.  

Additionally, each student is paired with a coach that helps the student understand the material, execute projects, and serve as a mentor.

"My coach challenged me, pulled me along, even when I did not want to be challenged," said Rev. Kyle Reinhiller, who serves the United Methodist Church in Harrisburg, South Dakota. "I am grateful for the coaching. I would not have stepped out of my comfort zone without my coach."

"The coaching piece is the secret sauce in many ways," said Bill Lewis, coaching coordinator, NPCL.

Vincent has dubbed the program to be the  "pastors' masters."  Participants have an opportunity to transition into DWU's online MBA program and complete their MBA with an additional 18 credits of coursework.

Rev. Andy Bartel in cap and gown for the NPCL virtual graduation.

The NPCL virtual gathering brought together the current cohort to celebrate the completion of the outgoing class, all while welcoming a new group of students that begin the program in July.  View a list of the 2020-2021 cohort here. View a video celebrating the 2019-2020 cohort here.

Participants completing their cohort experience met in breakout rooms with incoming participants during the virtual gathering to share collective wisdom.

"No one ever asks what your GPA during the program is. The program is about you and is for you. You will take away more than grades," said Rev. Andy Bartel, a Dakotas Conference elder who serves St John's UMC in Anchorage, Alaska.

Accountability, flexibility, and productivity were standard terms shared by the graduating cohort members.

"It is all there waiting for you, but you need to take charge. Ask your colleagues for ideas as you work through the program," said Rev. Rachel Warner, who serves at Anoka UMC. "You need to plan, set time to do the work, balance your coursework, with your church work and family life. If you know something is coming up in your life, work ahead. The faculty are flexible and will work with you."

View the 2019-2020 cohort list here.
View the 2020-2021 cohort list here.