[Luther Seminary press release] Leaders across churches today face massive challenges on two fronts: understanding a pluralist culture that no longer supports Christian identity and practice; and leading faith communities through processes of learning, adaptation and innovation in mission. Meaningful engagement with complex challenges like these functions best in communities of peers who mutually encourage, support, challenge and deepen one another, while being held accountable to a disciplined structure of action/reflection under the guidance of experienced mentors and coaches.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Mildred Kellogg Trust, Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, is launching a new Missional Leadership Cohort for Episcopal clergy. The Missional Leadership Cohort is a structured learning community that offers teaching, mentorship and accountability for Episcopal church leaders in partnership with committed peers and faculty and staff. It offers the promise of intensive, transformational leadership development for a missionary church with flexibility and accommodation for the demands facing full-time, working clergy.

This program will be led by the Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile, an Episcopal priest and professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary, the Rev. Dr. Daniel Anderson, executive director of the Minnesota Consortium of Theological Schools, and the Rev. Stephanie Spellers, canon for missional vitality in the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island.

Program details and application materials are available at www.luthersem.edu/lifelong_learning/cohort. Please submit the completed application materials by June 1, 2014.