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Helping Pastors Thrive Announces New Pastors-in-Residence
CBFNC’s Helping Pastors Thrive program has announced that two North Carolina pastors have been selected to spend a month in residence at Duke Divinity School and the GardnerWebb School of Divinity as Pastors-in-Residence. The Pastor-in-Residence program is administered as a joint partnership between CBFNC and the four theological schools in North Carolina (Campbell, Duke, Gardner-Webb and Wake Forest).
By Scott Hudgins Director of Helping Pastors Thrive
The Rev. Ray Ammons, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Clinton, spent the month of October in residence at the Duke Divinity School. Ray is a native of Red Springs, NC and he and his wife, Cathy, have two daughters. He received his M.Div. from Southern Seminary in 1994 and his D.Min. from the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond in 2004. Ray has served as pastor in four churches in Kentucky and North Carolina. His previous pastorate was First Baptist-Gastonia. He also served as the moderator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina in 2014-2015.
“The Helping Pastors Thrive program provided for me the enrichment I was seeking and the respite I needed during my recent sabbatical. I am grateful to CBF of North Carolina for the implementation of this program and I encourage my ministry companions across our fellowship to engage this efficient, resourceful and renewing opportunity.” –Ray Ammons The Rev. Dr. Jerome Washington, pastor of the Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Durham, will be in residence at Gardner-Webb during the winter term that begins in late January. Jerome holds both a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from Xavier University of Louisiana. He has done theological studies at the Union Baptist Seminary and the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. In 1995, Jerome was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in Religion and Counseling from Southwestern University. He has done postdoctoral studies at Christ Church College of the University of Oxford and Harvard Divinity School and is an alumnus of that Divinity School’s Summer Leadership Institute. He is the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from the Tennessee School of Religion. He is an inductee into the Martin Luther King, Jr. College of Ministers and Laity at Morehouse College. Prior to becoming a minister, Jerome performed as a classical singer throughout the United States and Europe. He is a former public school teacher, counselor and adjunct professor at Delgado Community College in New Orleans. He serves as a board member of the North Carolina Council of Churches, the Durham Anti-Gang Commission and United Christian Campus Ministries of North Carolina Central University.
The Pastor-in-Residence program is designed as a mini-sabbatical/study leave and renewal program. All expenses related to the residency are covered by CBFNC’s Helping Pastors Thrive program, including housing, transportation, meal allowance and financial support for the congregation during the pastor’s absence. CBFNC also provides pulpit supply to the congregation if needed.
In partnership with CBFNC’s four partner theological schools, the program provides for engagement with the theology faculty, access to courses and use of the libraries and participation in the larger learning community. Each pastor determines their own goals and outcomes for the program and works with a faculty advisor during the residency. Pastors have also been invited to address students and serve as mentors and resources for future pastors who are enrolled in degree programs.
A Thriving in Ministry grant provided by the Lilly Endowment funds the Helping Pastors Thrive program and can support up to four Pastors-in-Residence each year. More information and applications for future Pastor-inResidence opportunities are located at helpingpastorsthrive.org.
