Pastor Ford and our Administrative Council have agreed to participate in the UMC’s Strengthening the Black Church (SBC) program.  They will participate in the SBC’s mentoring program entitled the Collaborative Coaching Network (CCN) that supports pastors and congregations.  Their participation is being sponsored by the Susquehanna Conference, our Mountain Valley District, and our church.  The CCN will assign Rev. Dr. Stephanie Moore Hand to be a coach who will mentor our church’s leaders for one year.  Each month, Dr. Moore Hand will provide one hour of mentoring to Pastor Ford by Zoom and each quarter she will also meet by Zoom with our Administrative Council.  She is a Church Vitality Strategist for the Western North Carolina Conference and a UMC Elder.  Our church will also receive access to the SBC’s Leadership Forward Webinars and Conversations around the topics being covered.  In addition, our church will work with District Superintendent Michelle Bodle to host a 3-hour workshop that Rev. Dr. Clarence Brown, Jr., will present on the topic of "Leading to the Future.”  Rev. Dr. Brown will conduct this in-person for the leaders of the 100+ churches in our District.  This workshop will be held on September 12 from 10-2 p.m. here at Albright-Bethune.  We will also provide a meal in our social hall.  Rev. Dr. Brown is a retired elder in the UMC.  See Pastor Ford or Blannie Bowen if you have any questions about either the workshop or the mentoring that will be provided to Pastor Ford and our administrative council.