Registration Available for Eight-Year Assessment Training Event in Orlando
To help annual conferences better understand, develop and implement the requirements for the Eight-Year Assessment (EYA), as sanctioned by the 2016 General Conference, the Candidacy Office at the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) is offering a training event February 19-21, 2018, in Orlando, Florida.
Every eight years, as part of the EYA, clergy are required to engage in a six-month series of personal and professional assessment and development trainings. The cabinet and board of ordained ministry, in consultation with the chairs of the Orders of Deacons and Elders and Fellowship of Local Pastors and Associate Members, are charged with designing and implementing this process in each annual conference.
GBHEM encourages annual conferences to send members of these teams who will be leading the conference in the development and implementation of the EYA to the training event in Orlando.
“The training will focus on providing resources and a framework for teams to consider in the EYA’s development,” said Meg Lassiat, executive director of candidacy and conference relations at GBHEM. “We’ll also set aside time for teams to plan and work together. We want people to network so they can receive feedback from other annual conferences as well.”
The training event will be held Monday, February 19 to Wednesday, February 21. The conference fee is $350 and includes double rooms (or shared) accommodations, some meals, and transportation to and from the Orlando International Airport. Single (private) rooms are available for an additional charge.
More information about the Candidacy Office and GBHEM is available at gbhem.org.
About GBHEM: As the leadership development agency of The United Methodist Church, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry’s mission is to build capacity for United Methodist lay and clergy leaders to discover, claim and flourish in Christ’s calling in their lives, by creating connections and providing resources to aid in recruitment, education, professional development and spiritual formation. Every elder, deacon and licensed local pastor benefits from our training and candidacy programs. Many young adults find help in clarifying their vocation and God’s call in their lives through our leadership and discernment programs. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @GBHEM.
Related Posts
Rev. Vicki Walker traces her call to ministry to a single, startling moment that would shape the rest of her life. “It was 1980. I was 19 years old,” Walker said. During a quiet retreat, she sat alone in a chapel when she heard a voice she could not ignore. “I sense, I hear this voice that says, ‘I want you to go to seminary, get a master’s in Christian education, and work with youth.’”
Adopting mannerisms, values, and practices is a form of incarnation. Incarnation is being in someone else’s flesh. In the Christian tradition, when we speak of the Incarnation, we speak of the mystery of God becoming like one of us.
The Central Conference Theological Education Fund (CCTEF) awarded $992,594 in grants to support theological education across The United Methodist Church. During its spring 2026 meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, commissioners reviewed $3.9 million in funding requests and made awards from a total allocation of $1.03 million. The final grant list was released in August.
