ROANOKE, Va. — The Christian Leadership Network is “expanding its footprint,” broadening its scope beyond Southwest Virginia to offer classes in other parts of the state and could eventually include locations in Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee.
The Virginia Baptist-administered organization — formerly known as the Southwest Virginia Christian Leadership Network — provides leadership training and continuing education to both ministers and laypersons. It offers diploma and masters level classes in cooperation with the John Leland Center for Theological Studies in Falls Church, Va., and Bluefield College in Bluefield, Va.
Gary Chapman
|
“We’re still focusing on Southwest Virginia, but we’re moving into the Lynchburg and Staunton areas,” said Gary Chapman, director of the leadership network. “We may try to find ways to expand to North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky. We want to expand our footprint beyond our original base in Southwest Virginia.”
The network was established in 2005 with monies made available when the Baptist General Association of Virginia ended its funding relationship with Averett University in Danville, Va. Based in Roanoke, the network employs only two staff members — Chapman and his wife, Janie, who serves as administrative assistant.
Classes — which are held at multiple sites — are taught by adjunctive instructors, primarily pastors and lay leaders.
The diploma program provides up to 48 credit hours towards a bachelor’s degree. Up to 20 credit hours towards a master’s degree is offered in conjunction with Leland. All instruction is provided under the guidelines of the Association of Theological Schools accrediting agency.
“We’re not expanding just to expand,” said Chapman. “I really feel we have a calling to make our churches healthier. We have so many churches that need to become healthy, and in order to become healthy they need to have healthy leaders in place. A church won’t go any further than its leaders and if those leaders are healthy, the church will be healthy.”
In addition to a name change, the “expanded footprint” will include a new governing board, to be elected by the Virginia Baptist Mission Board’s executive committee under bylaws adopted in September. Oversight will continue to be provided by the Mission Board’s empowering leaders team.
Chapman said eventually the board will include between 10 and 15 members. Currently there are five — Bill Booth, pastor of Vinton (Va.) Baptist Church; Joey McNeill, pastor of Fort Trial Baptist Church in Stanleyville, Va.; Bob Moore, pastor of Bonsack Baptist Church in Roanoke; Susan Parris, a banker in Rocky Mount, Va.; and Stephen Pollard, pastor of Abingdon (Va.) Baptist Church.
In addition to oversight, the board also will be instrumental in seeking funding for programming. Virginia Baptists finance the Chapmans’ salaries, but $50,000-$60,000 in funds for instructors’ stipends, textbooks, workshops and peer learning groups must come from other sources. Tuition is kept to a modest level, Chapman said, and scholarships are offered to members of BGAV churches.
“We see this as an investment in Virginia Baptist leaders,” the director said.
Currently about 50 students are enrolled in five Virginia locations — Madison Heights, Martinsville, Nickelsville, Roanoke and Wise.
“Our students include those exploring a call to ministry, those just beginning ministry, those entering ministry as a second career, those serving as bivocational leaders, those who wish to sharpen ministry skills and those who simply want to make a difference in their church or community,” Chapman said. “We’re not just training them for the church but also for their community and their culture.”
“I am absolutely passionate about this ministry,” he added. “What we’re doing is what Jesus did with his own disciples in training them for mission. We’re discovering among leaders in Southwest Virginia and beyond a hunger for this kind of training and they are finding it beneficial.
“I don’t know of many other folks doing what we do. It’s a unique way of leadership training.”
‘I am absolutely passionate about this ministry,’ says Gary Chapman of the Christian Leadership Network.