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BY MELISSA LAUBER
UMCONNECTION STAFF

Good leaders have the power to add to the church. But great leaders can multiply a congregation so that it expands exponentially with the power of discipleship, said Helen Fleming, who is leading a new effort for pastors to excel in leadership.

The peer-learning opportunity, which begins in March, is expected to involve 646 local church pastors in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, said Fleming, assistant to Bishop John R. Schol for Leadership Development

The pastors will be divided into 80 affinity groups, which they self-selected from a list of 46 options that outlined a variety of interests. The groups, made up of approximately eight members, will meet once a month.

The peer-coaching groups are being designed to spiritually condition, equip, inspire and support pastors to grow disciples and congregations to engage in the Discipleship Adventure and bear Acts 2 fruit.

Once a month, pastors will also meet one-on-one with their trained leaders to work through any issues they might deem important.

'The Discipleship Adventure is one of the most exciting challenges facing the church today,' Fleming said. 'In too many instances our churches are focused on survival, or doing ?it? right. Pastors have lost their focus and churches have gotten off track.'

The groups, Fleming said, will 'open space for the Holy Spirit to move. It will help pastors find the space for God to act.'

Christie Latona, of Chesapeake Consulting, is training the group leaders.

She sees the groups serving as a 'support and gbwc_superusere' so that individuals can leverage their gifts to bring them joy and help their congregations bear fruit.

This is not about fixing what?s broken but building on what?s working and sharpening gifts and bearing fruits, Latona said.

Building on the Adventure theme, the coaches will serve as gbwc_superuseres to assist the pastors as they experience celebration, bridge connections, dare to grow and develop, leap into service and venture to share.

Currently estimations are that only about 5 percent of the churches within the Baltimore-Washington Conference are reaping the Acts 2 fruits of worship attendance growth, confessions of faith, engagement in ministry, and signs and wonders.

'Everything is a process,' Fleming said, 'and sometimes we get stagnant. But it is time to change, time to grow. You can change without growing, but you can?t grow without changing.'

As changes occur, Fleming promised, the conference will be present as a partner with, and for, pastors and congregations.

She encourages every pastor about to enter the groups to come with an open mind and a creative spirit.

'Normal processes only get us so far,' said Latona. 'Creativity is the spark of the Holy Spirit. ? When a person reconnects with their passion, with their purpose, it allows the Spirit to come through. ? People should bring open minds, hearts, their Bibles, images and ideas of what?s possible.'