We are pleased to announce that Dick Sartwell has agreed to return as the NWYM Friends Center Director beginning later this summer/early fall!
You may recall that Dick served as the director of the Friends Center when it was first established. Along with this previous experience, Dick brings a wealth of wisdom, years of fruitful pastoral ministry, and a deep concern for leadership/pastoral development. In addition, he is an outstanding teacher and mentor. We are particularly grateful that Dick is willing to resume this role as NWYM goes through a superintendent transition. Dick will help provide stability and important continuity for the Friends Center.
Last year, we had 36 Friends students taking courses at GFES, accumulating over 400 of credit hours. Eleven students received Friends Center scholarships. This coming year, fourteen students will receive scholarship aid. We will be drawing funds from the Hubert and Vivian Thornburg scholarship for the first time this Fall, now that it is fully funded. We will provide a complete report on activity about the Friends Center during Yearly Meeting. What we can say today is that it is doing important work to help educate and equip current and future pastors/leaders for NWYM. We have a great partnership with George Fox Evangelical Seminary and Friends from around the country are increasingly interested in studying here.
This coming year, the Friends Center will be offering four courses—one on intentional interim ministry, one on discernment, one on Christian peacemaking and one taught by Dick Sartwell on pastoral ministry from a Friends perspective. We will provide more details later this summer.
