As a Christian institution, Azusa Pacific University integrates faith, worship, and service into students’ everyday lives. For students that feel called to a career of service, the Center for Vocational Ministry (CVM) was created to help students grow in their God-given gifts and skills to prepare them for careers in vocational ministry. This year, they are expanding their graduate and undergraduate class offerings and initiatives, the first step in which was creating a new position, preacher in residence. Cheryl Fletcher will fill the ten-month position that comes out of APU's desire to serve local churches by providing resources, mentoring, and training in vocational ministry. The CVM received grants from Lilly Endowment Inc. to create the new position and start up various other projects.
Fletcher decided to pursue ministry when she had an encounter with Jesus and wanted to help others have similar transformational experiences. After learning that ministry has to be a balance between pouring into others and giving yourself room to honor your own faith journey, she knew that helping others realize that Jesus is at the center of the work was something she wanted to share. Fletcher has worked in various vocational ministry settings for the past 39 years. After working at churches in Austin, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area, she has become passionate about helping vocational ministers strengthen their relationship with God. “When serving God becomes your job, you can lose your personal followership of Jesus to the profession,” she said. “I love that I can walk alongside pastors and vocational ministers and remind them of their passion for Jesus that called them into ministry in the first place so they don’t lose that as they serve the church.”
When the opportunity to join the CVM presented itself, Fletcher felt ready to take the next step in her career. “This season of my life is not about building my platform or opportunities, but rather it’s a season of giving back,” she said.
As preacher in residence, Fletcher will lead the Compelling Preaching Cohorts, a nine-month program designed for pastors and ministry leaders. Pastors will have the opportunity to engage in practice cohorts and refine their work with peer-to-peer feedback all guided by scholars and practitioners offering research, wisdom, and learning opportunities to develop more compelling preachers. Fletcher will also teach one of three eight-week courses in the Certificate of Transformational Preaching program called Sacred Preparation: The Soul of the Preacher. The certification is a twelve-month professional development opportunity educating preachers, ministers, and lay leaders to be equipped in their teaching. Outside of the classroom, Fletcher will be helping with the startup of the undergraduate preaching labs, an opportunity for undergraduate students to join a team of teachers and mentors who are knowledgeable about the vocational ministry field. With her experience in teaching and preaching, Fletcher will also be included in the rotation of speakers at chapel this academic year and be available to speak in classrooms at faculty’s request.
Another component of the preacher in residence position is research based. Through her research, Fletcher will create resources for local churches and those in ministry. “The average local church in the U.S. has 100 attendees and is often led by a single pastor or bi-vocational pastor who doesn’t have the same resources as a larger church,” she said. “We want to provide tools that will serve those working in smaller churches as well as those in larger churches.” APU’s Transformational Preaching Certificate program and Compelling Preaching Cohorts focuse on coaching and mentoring so that church leaders realize they are not alone. According to Fletcher, being in a cohort of peers that are working towards the same goals and growing in similar areas is a great opportunity.
So far, Fletcher has enjoyed becoming a member of the APU community and commended APU for creating the CVM. “I love that the people I’m working with are committed to serving the local church and helping them thrive in their own relationship with Jesus as they improve their ministry skills,” she said. “We want leaders to not only do their ministry for Jesus, but to do it with him by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Fletcher is excited to walk alongside students, faculty, and staff while serving APU and the broader community in any way she can. “I’m here to serve the university, and I want students to know that I’m a resource for them,” she said. “I’d love to walk alongside anyone who is interested in vocational ministry.”