Nazarene Pastors and Leaders Conferences
Members of NBC just attended the Pastors and Leaders Conferences (PALCON) at Eastern Nazarene College (ENC). PALCON attendees come from all over, including clergy and institutes of higher education with theological curriculums. The theme this year is "Rooted in Missional Passion," helping to prepare clergy for ministry and missionary work in postmodern culture.
Attending these conferences helps NBC stay at the cutting edge of ministry preparation. Plus, a large percentage of Nazarene Pastors are alumni, and many of NBC's online students attend. So, this gives us the opportunity to interact with our more than 1,500 active distance students as well as our numerous graduates.
NBC will be attending all the PALCON conferences, which go through August at nine different colleges and universities. We have a space in the exhibit hall, and NBC also hosts a meal for alumni, students, faculty, and friends. A nice bonus is that President Graves' brother, Dr. David Graves, General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene, was there to speak on the first night of the early PALCON conferences.
Dr. David Phillips said that at the opening breakfast of each conference, "We reported on the strongest enrollment year in our history, the large graduating class this year, new programs, and the NBC Select courses." He went on to say, "The final piece is that we meet some that need to finish their education, so we do some recruiting."
While the knowledge overflowing at these conferences is invaluable, one of the best rewards is the ability to talk with the attendees. As Dr. Phillips stated, "Many expressed their thanks for what NBC does and the contribution that NBC has made to their life and ministry." This statement is humbling, and we strive to be worthy of this sentiment every day, especially since it's probably a reason "Why Students Choose NBC" in the first place.
2010 NBC PALCON attendees:
Dr. Harold Graves, President
Dr. Laurel Matson, Vice President for Student Development and Registrar
Dr. David Phillips, Vice President for Online Academic Services
Rev. David Church, Director of the Leadership and Ethics Program
Published: 06/18/2010
Archived Entries