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My principal efforts this year have been in working with the churches and pastors of the Wyoming cluster. By the time of the Gathering, I shall have worshipped with each of the churches of the cluster and visited the pastors in person and by phone. I have also gotten to know more of the lay people in the churches. Occasionally, I have been invited to preach in the churches. Wyoming is a large state, and I have driven many miles across it. I get to experience the beauty of a special part of God’s creation.
One of my responsibilities is to work with churches to secure pastoral leadership when a vacancy occurs. First Baptist Church of Rock Springs has been engaged in this process this year. I helped them secure an interim minister, Dr. Diana Hodge, through the ABC Interim Ministries program, and have been working with their search committee. Dr. Hodge will be leaving at the end of September; the church hopes to have a new minister soon after that.
I work with churches that are experiencing difficulties or conflicts. The Evanston Baptist Church still struggles; a small but faithful group meets regularly for Bible study. Their historic building is for sale to satisfy an ABEC mortgage. The Rock Springs church also faces difficult challenges.
Celebrations are also part of my ministry. First Baptist Church of Rock Springs celebrated their centennial in March and I was invited to preach the anniversary sermon; unfortunately the Wyoming winter had other plans and snow forced the cancellation of the service. I rejoiced at the ordinations of Jason King and Cathy Bayert. I hosted a Christmas dinner for all the Cluster pastors and spouses.
It has been several years since the Wyoming Cluster held a cluster meeting for all the churches. With the able help of Rev. Scott Engelhart, I have organized a cluster meeting to be hosted by Bethel Baptist Church in Casper. This promises to be an exciting event with great opportunity for worship, fellowship, and learning.
I represent Region staff on the committee for the SoulJourners adult retreat. We are looking forward to an exciting conference in September on the topic “Who do you say that I am (and what difference does it make)” with leadership by Dr. Bob Ballance from First Baptist Church of Boulder. The conference has been a blessing to many of our seniors and has received a lot of positive feedback. I also work with the Board for Camp Wyoba and the Board for the Wyoming Association of Churches. American Baptists are one of nine denominations in this ecumenical association. The WAC treasurer resigned because of health concerns, and I have been serving as treasurer for several months.
I meet with the Ministerial Leadership Committee, helping to plan training opportunities for pastors and lay persons and consider candidates for ordination. Two lay members of cluster churches and one cluster pastor are attending the classes that lead to regional ordination. I have also attended some of the classes, including Pastoral Care, New Testament, Preaching, and Professional Ethics.
Along with the rest of the Region staff, I have worked in retreats with Dr. Jeff Woods and in staff meetings to craft a vision for the future of the Region and an action plan to reach that vision.
I have developed a workshop on church financial issues and presented it to the pastors of the Northern Front Range Cluster and will present it again at the Wyoming Cluster meeting. It is available for other churches and groups if requested.
My continuing education has included the MLC classes, certification in the Church Health Assessment Tool (CHAT), attending the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit, and the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center Conflict Transformation Training. I appreciate the Region making these opportunities available for developing my skills and understanding of ministry. I also took part in the Region Mission Trip to Joplin, MO for tornado disaster relief.
I enjoy worshipping and working with the churches and pastors of the Wyoming cluster and it is a blessing to me to be able to do this. I hope that it is a benefit to the churches and the Region as well. I thank the Region for this opportunity to serve.
William Mankin
Interim Ministry and Mission Coach
Wyoming Clusters
2010 Bill Mankin Ministry Report
2009 Bill Mankin Ministry Report
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