Title: Homeland Ministries executive resigns
Date: June 1, 2000
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
00a-25
INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- A veteran Homeland Ministries executive will leave her position this summer.The Rev. Joyce Coalson, vice president, Center for Leadership and Ministry, has resigned, effective July 14.
Coalson was called to work in the search and call process of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Homeland Ministries' Department of Ministry in January 1982.She was named vice president of the department in 1984 and was named vice president of the Center for Leadership and Ministry when it was created in 1991.
Her decision to leave Homeland Ministries after nearly two decades of service arose from "a sense that after 18 years in this ministry and in the general church I've made the contributions I can make and it's time for someone else to have that opportunity -- a sense that I really yearn to be back in pastoral ministry and want to move back in that direction."
After completing her master of divinity degree at Christian Theological Seminary in 1973, Coalson served as pastor of Windmill Point Church of Christ (Disciples of Christ) in Ridgeway, Ontario, from 1973-76.She also served as associate for education at Crestview Christian Church, Indianapolis, and worked with a Homeland Ministries program called "Women in Interim Ministry" before her call to general church ministry.
In 18 years of ministerial placement work, Coalson has been a keen observer of congregations' attitudes toward women in the pulpit."While on the one hand I've seen more openness, I know there's still a lot of struggle and pain for some who have not found those places for ministry that fit best for them. Percentage-wise, we're doing a lot better, and I celebrate that.There are still congregations who just can't imagine that possibility, and you just keep working with them," she said.
Coalson feels the chief challenge for Homeland Ministries, and the whole church, is providing leadership for congregations in the 21st century.A high rate of retirements and a shortage of young seminary students will leave the church short-handed.She also says the church must find ways to provide sound leadership to congregations for whom a full-time seminary-trained pastor is out of the question.
Coalson does not yet have firm post-resignation plans, but eventually hopes to move back into congregational ministry. "I've ...worked with a lot of faithful and committed lay people. I think as long as we have those kind of folks out there in the church, I'm hopeful for the future, and I'll find my niche in there somewhere," she said.
In announcing Coalson's resignation, the Rev. Ann Updegraff Spleth, Homeland Ministries president, said, "Joyce has done an outstanding job in the 18 years she has served the church through Homeland Ministries. Her presence and pastoral spirit and strength and staff leadership will be missed by all of us."
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