Second leader training held on Eastern Mediterranean Field

Beirut, Lebanon

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

It was mid-June in the mountains overlooking Beirut, Lebanon, when the district and emerging leaders met for three and half days to discuss leadership development.

Kenneth Mills, district superintendent of the mid-Atlantic Church of the Nazarene; John Haines, regional education coordinator for Eurasia; Lindell Browning, strategy coordinator for the Eastern Mediterranean Field; and Andrew Salameh, district superintendent of Lebanon, facilitated discussion and made presentations.

Seven pastors and leaders of the district committed themselves to being mentors for the nine others who participated. On Sunday morning the group divided into three to attend the three Churches of the Nazarene in Beirut.

"I considered it a great opportunity for us as leaders and future leaders in the Lebanon District to spend three days together discussing issues about the ministry and leadership," Salameh said.

The Eurasia Region's Leadership Development Initiative began in 2008 as a five-year plan to identify 10-12 potential or emerging leaders on every district. Events are designed to disciple them in servant leadership, regional mission strategy, and partner them in a two-year mentoring relationship with a mature leader.

"After this meeting I felt - and others told me this as well - that we now know each other more and we felt more as one body and we can work with each other more," Salameh said. "The concept of mentoring future leaders and letting other senior leaders be involved in this process was a great eye opener to me."

The district is committed to bringing these mentors and protégés together, often for the next few years. Also, each mentor met for a short time to arrange a schedule of when they could get together.

"It was very good and a good step for the future to prepare some leaders," said Lauron Majdalany, pastor of the Sin El Fil Church of the Nazarene in Beirut. "Somehow it makes the church ready for any surprise, like what happened with Sin El Fil church when our pastor passed away. They needed someone to take over. Also it matures us more as mentors and also protégés. I expect a lot from Abed and I believe this process will help him." Abed is a lay leader at the church.

This was the second Leadership Development Initiative that has been held on the Eastern Mediterranean Field. The first district to get involved was the Jordan District in January of 2009.
--Eurasia Region Communications

 

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