Kathy Terpstra (or her designate) will be the convener and Ed Morgan has agreed to offer a welcome on behalf of St. Cloud.  Please include them in the commission if that's appropriate and/or necessary.  I am also asking to celebrate communion and Donna has agreed to officiate with me. 

Sara Stegemann Drew (Luverne First) – ready to receive a call.  Sara graduated from Austin Theological Seminary on May 20th.  CPM certified Sara “ready to receive a call” in February.  Sara and her husband Chris are both searching for their first calls.  CPM recommends that we continue Sara as a Candidate, “ready to receive a call.”

Jeremiah Knabe (Jackson, First) – Jeremiah is beginning his Senior year at Princeton Theological Seminary.  Jeremiah did Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) this summer and took his ordination exams in August.  We met with him on September 4th for his annual consultation.   CPM recommends that we continue Jeremiah as a Candidate.

UPDATES ON INQUIRERS: 

Chris Conlin (Mankato, First) – Commissioned Lay Pastor at Kasota, Professor of Microbiology at MSU Mankato.   We met with him for annual consultation on September 4th.   CPM recommends that we

INQUIRER APPLICANTS:

Daniel Voigt (Luverne, First) – We met with Dan on June 19th.   Dan is working as a youth leader in a church in Alaska.  He will be married in January, and he and his wife are hoping to start graduate school in the Fall of 2008.  He will apply to Austin, Louisville, Dubuque and Columbia.   CPM voted to enroll Daniel Voigt as an Inquirer.

Kathy Blair (Winnebago) – We met with Kathy on June 19th.  Kathy works for Lutheran Social Services and has also been on the music staff at the Winnebago Church.  She is from a family of Presbyterian clergy and has long desired to attend seminary.  That opportunity is now possible through Dubuque Seminary’s brand new “distance learning MDIV” program.  She was accepted to the first class of that 5 year program and began her studies in August.  CPM voted to enroll Kathy Blair as an Inquirer.

UPDATES CLP CANDIDATES:

Deb Klaassen (            Ellsworth) – We met with Deb on June 19th and voted to enroll her as a CLP Candidate and to certify her ready to receive a commission.  Having received a commission, Deb will be examined by Presbytery today (see attached sheets).  CPM recommends Deb Klaassen to the Presbytery to be examined for commissioning as a Commissioned Lay Pastor.

Please hold each of these persons in your thoughts and prayers.

If your congregation has someone who is considering ordination as a Minister of Word and Sacrament, please contact the Committee on Preparation for Ministry as soon as possible so that we can begin working with them early in their discernment process.  An outline of the preparation process can be found in the Presbytery’s Manual of Operations. 

OTHER COMMITTEE BUSINESS:

o   CPM continues to work with the Leadership Development for Ministry Action Team, Committee on Ministry and the Executive Presbyter to clarify our role in the new process that will be used to enroll LDM Graduates as CLP Candidates and to certify them as “ready to receive a commission.”  CPM is seeking to model our portion of this work after the process we use in working with Candidates for Ministry of Word and Sacrament.  We look forward to participating in a meeting of former and current LDM Students and Graduates this fall to help explain the new procedures.  

o   CPM has prepared a document to communicate with the Presbytery our comprehensive approach to working with persons preparing for Ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA), and our response to the New Authoritative Interpretation passed by the most recent General Assembly with the Report of the Task Force on the Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church.  That document is part of your Presbytery packet.

o   CPM chair, Donna Buell, is on the planning team for the 2008 Annual Synod COM/CPM training event.

Respectfully Submitted,

Donna R. Buell

Chairperson, Committee on Preparation for Ministry