Clergy & Congregational Initiatives
Clergy and Congregational Initiatives are efforts designed to strengthen the relationship between religious leaders (clergy) and their communities (congregations). These initiatives often focus on fostering spiritual growth, improving communication, and addressing the needs of the congregation through outreach programs, educational opportunities, and social justice efforts. By supporting both the personal development of clergy and the collective well-being of the congregation, these initiatives aim to create vibrant, engaged, and compassionate faith communities that serve the broader society.
Innovation HUB The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. (SDPC) has established the SDPC Innovation HUB to help congregations and communities effectively address economic, educational, political and social challenges, as well as individual and communal histories. These challenges can be variously related to justice and injustice, our individual and communal woundedness, generational concerns, sexual identity and spiritual alienation. To this end, the SDPC Innovation Hub (The HUB) guides congregations in the design, development and implementation of needed programs and initiatives to address current and emerging issues.
Grant Making To Inspire Innovation
for The Church
The Hub offers a series on grant making and how to design effective proposals to
solicit investment and external support for the work of ministry. The Hub also
offers a limited number of small grants for congregational leadership teams to refine
a project concept, enhance project design, oversee its launch and evaluate its impact.
Networking & Networking for
Innovation and Success
The Hub convenes living expos to share innovative models of ministry that
demonstrate what can be achieved to address specific and pressing realities
facing churches in general and the Black church in particular.
Congregation & Clergy Peer Support
“Soul Circles”
The Hub is a living resource sponsoring face-to-face forums, conversations and
gatherings that can be accessed online. The Peer Learning Soul Circles & Table
Talks are offered as Sacred and Holy Conversations where old ministries are
expanded and deepened, while new ministries are envisioned and born.
College & Seminary Partnerships for
Christian Vocational Clarity
The Hub hosts, produces and archives digital and written exchanges (papers,
presentations, video conferencing, etc.) about factors which often affect the
sustainability of churches and the diverse communities they serve.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
For Certification in Congregational
Learning
Through our partnerships with seminaries and associations, The Hub
offers continuing education units and certifications in areas of theology, pastoral
ministry and congregational learning.
Educational programming includes ministry formation classes and advanced
study as intensive courses. This continuing education program of The Hub is intended
to help individuals and congregations acquire essential capacity-building
knowledge and skills, which their churches and communities need for short-term and
long-range sustainability.
Congregational Shadowing:
Observation to Implementation
The Hub offers congregations that want to grow and change, the opportunity
to shadow, observe and participate in different or new congregational models
and new methods of ministry.
Through a church mentorship model, participants explore the possibility
of learning new ways for spiritual engagement and enlightenment, which
may transform individuals, congregations and entire communities.
The Micah Institute & Fund
Micah Institute focuses on education and resource development, which help to reposition clergy, congregations and church leaders’ understanding, value for, and practice of faith, God, and money. SDPC praxis uses the concept of the “theology of sufficiency” to foster economic development and sustainability in Black communities by addressing the financial challenges of ministry and church growth through financial literacy and community economic development initiatives. The Micah Institute also convenes Black women in ministry and church leadership to confront those financial and professional challenges that are unique to Black women in ministry.
