The Institute for the Support of Pastoral Ministries

Offering religious leaders in both parish and specialized ministries an opportunity to support and enhance their ministries.

Consultation Opportunities for Practicing Clergy in:

• Pastoral Care and Counseling
• Church Leadership & Administration

2010-2011 Offerings
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is pleased to offer religious leaders in both parish and specialized ministries the opportunity to participate in consultation groups designed to support and enhance their ministries. For the 2010-2011 academic year, we are expanding our group offerings to two tracks.

Track one: Pastoral Care and Counseling

The Pastoral Care Consultation Groups are offered for pastors who seek to improve their knowledge and skill in pastoral care and counseling. The groups will be facilitated by Christie Cozad Neuger, Director of the Institute for the Support of Pastoral Ministries. This year we will offer three kinds of pastoral care consultation groups:

1. for religious leaders working primarily in congregations;
2. for religious leaders working primarily in specialized pastoral care settings (e.g. chaplains); and
3. for those interested in focusing on Narrative theory for their pastoral care and counseling work.

Click here for more information about the Pastoral Consultation Groups and to register. Groups are forming now for fall 2010.

Track two: Church Leadership & Administration

The Church Leadership & Administration Consultation Groups are offered for pastors who seek to improve their knowledge and skills, especially for times of leadership challenges and conflict. The group will be facilitated by Mary E. McNamara, president of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.

The consultation group in leadership and administration will have three objectives:

1. To share and reflect with colleagues on leadership challenges which have been met or will soon need to be met;
2. to think more strategically and contextually about the interaction of individuals, groups, and organizational structures in working toward goals; and
3. to identify strengths and areas for growth in the analysis of needs and options for leadership.

Group members will take turns presenting case situations of leadership challenges and successes for group consultation.

Click here for more information about the Church Leadership and Administration Consultation Group and to register. Groups are forming now for fall 2010.

Special Topics Courses
Both the pastoral care track and the church leadership track will be supported by periodic courses on relevant topics.

Special Topics Courses designed for the Pastoral Care Groups:

Narrative Resources for Pastoral Counseling - Oct. 19, 2010
Advanced Narrative Resources for Pastoral Counseling - Nov. 29, 2010
New Directions in Grief Care - Feb. 15, 2011
Refresher in Pastoral Care and Counseling with Couples - April 11, 2011

Special Topics Courses designed for the Church Leadership Group:

Artistry, Choice, and Leadership in Understanding Organizations - date TBD
Facilitating Difficult Discussions - Nov. 9, 2010
Leading in Crisis - date TBD

The mission of the Institute is to promote continuing growth in pastoral excellence beyond the years of formal theological education by providing resources and support for ministers serving in both parish and specialized settings. The focus is on deepening reflection on and practice of the arts of ministry.

The Director

Christie Cozad Neuger
Christie Cozad Neuger has served as a pastor, chaplain, pastoral counselor, and professor. An ordained United Methodist elder, she received her Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities and her Ph.D. from Claremont School of Theology.

Over the past 22 years, Christie has been a professor of pastoral counseling at Princeton Theological Seminary, United Theological Seminary, and Brite Divinity School, where she remains a distinguished visiting professor. She is a Diplomate in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and is an active member in the Society for Pastoral Theology. With her appointment as the Institute’s founding director, United also has appointed her as its distinguished senior scholar in pastoral care.

Besides numerous articles and chapters, Christie has published four books, Counseling Women: A Narrative Pastoral Approach; The Arts of Ministry:A Feminist-Womanist Approach (edited); The Care of Men (co-edited with James Poling); and Men’s Work in Preventing Violence Against Women (co-edited with James Poling).

The Faculty

Mary E. McNamara
The institute is proud to announce the appointment of Mary E. McNamara, president of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, to the Institute faculty.

Rev. McNamara is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and a member of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area. Prior to joining United, she served as executive vice president of Union Theological Seminary in New York City. She has also served as president of The Interchurch Center and director of the non-profit sector City of New York for Mayors Koch and Dinkins, and she has served on many boards and committees. She currently serves as treasurer of The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. Rev. McNamara was a religion major at Carleton College and received her M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School in 1968. She is a native of Minnesota, having grown up in Cambridge.