All members of the Christian faith are called to serve as ministers in the world. Education for Ministry (EfM) is a tool that educates laity, teaching them to think theologically about the world around them. Diocesan EfM Coordinator Robert Bennett called EfM "the best program in the Episcopal Church for adult lay ministry education."

EfM is a distance-learning program from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., which is usually held within congregations. There are also online groups. It is a four-year course consisting of weekly seminars, although many students take fewer than the full four years. The seminars meet nine months of the year. Each seminar group is made up of 6 to 12 people and a group mentor who facilitates and participates fully in all discussions.

The four years of study include the Old Testament, New Testament, History of Christianity, and Modern Theology. Students are given study materials and resource guides that allow them to continue their education outside of class. They are also asked to commit to a form of regular prayer or refection.

The main focus of the group is on theological reflection, which is a specific process that teaches students to think theologically about all of God's creation and apply that thinking to daily life.

After completion of the four-year program, students are given a Certificate of Completion; for every year of class students receive 18 Continuing Education credits.

To join an EfM group or become a mentor in the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio, contact EfM Coordinators Robert Bennett: bennettr@kenyon.edu or the Rev. Vincent E. Black: vblack@dohio.org or 216-774-0453.  Or visit EFM at http://www.sewanee.edu/EFM/index.htm

Keynote speaker for the 2010 Ohio Episcopal Celebration at Kenyon (OECAK) is Walter Brueggemann, McPheeters Professor of Old Testament Emeritus at Columbia Theological Seminary and author of over seventy books. Through his writing and speaking he eloquently reaches deep to sharpen our awareness. In his book, "Prayers for a Privileged People" he prays- You God, Lord and Sovereign, you God, lover and partner. You are God of all our possibilities, You preside over all our comings and goings, all our sickness and all our health, all our despair and all our hope, all our living and all our dying. And we are grateful. (p.173) So plan to attend the Ohio Episcopal Celebration as Walter Brueggemann shares his insights.

The conference theme is "Great Moments in the History of Power." Over the course of the three-day conference he will discuss:

1. Truth Speaks to Power: Moses

2. Power Overwhelms Truth: Solomon

3. Truth Has Its Day: Elisha 

4. Truth Impacts Power: Josiah

OECAK is an intergenerational conference hosted jointly by the dioceses of Ohio and Southern Ohio, with support from Bexley Hall Seminary. The conference will take place Thursday evening, June 24 through Sunday, June 27 on the campus of Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Special programs for children and youth will be available.

Children 12 and younger are free when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Visit the OECAK Web site, click here for more information and links to various resources regarding Walter Brueggemann.

Scholarships are available. To find scholarship information and register for the conference go to: click here